The First Time
by FrankaPhile
Summary: I decided to explore the WarrenLayla relationship through hindsight and reflection over their firsts First Date, First Dance, First Kiss, and so on.
1. The Hothead & The Hippie

_DISCLAIMER: Disney owns Sky High. I do not own any of the characters. I didn't even come up with the name for Freeze Girl - credit for that goes to an author on this site. Please read and review and don't hold back - If you think this story sucks, flame me._

It seemed like it was meant to be. Layla and Warren lay together in his bed. The mattress was cheaply made and too firm for Layla's taste, but she wasn't about to complain. She sighed contentedly, smiling at Warren who appeared to be in deep thought. It never failed that after every one of their trysts Warren would become quiet, every so often leaning over to make sure that his lover was real and not just a fantasy. He would smile very faintly, lean over, and just barely graze her lips with his. They'd come a long way over the last few months and, although they hardly ever talked about the past, it was filled with positive memories.

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Warren Peace had just had his heart broken. The usually cool, aloof young pyrokinetic had opened up to one girl - Beth, otherwise known as Freeze Girl. She first caught his eye during Freshman year and the two of them had gotten together the night that Royal Pain was defeated. She carried herself with the grace of a prima ballerina and was the most beautiful, feminine creature he'd ever laid eyes on. Beth was able to make Warren smile and got him to speak in full sentences about emotions and dreams. Nobody had ever made him feel that way before.

Beth, though, had all of the credits needed for graduation in her Junior year and was eager to set up base in a bustling metropolitan area where she could fight evil. Her decision to end it all stung Warren a bit and he felt like their relationship didn't mean much of anything to her. At the start of Senior year, Warren was back to his usual, sullen self without Beth around to make him smile.

He wasn't alone, of course. At the start of Senior year, Layla was feeling like she'd had her heart ripped out and it was all because of the infamous Will Stronghold. As it happens sometimes with those who aren't prepared to receive the attention and praise of the masses, Will became cocky and full-of-himself. His parents, mostly his father, fueled his arrogance with compliments, hardly ever stopping to criticize how he was handling all of it.

Layla was always in his shadow and bit by bit she could feel Will pulling away from her. Before he had a chance to break it off, Layla left him. He certainly wasn't the boy she'd fallen in love with during her grade school years and, although she was a little sad, she was glad to be free from their destructive relationship.

One day it became too much. Ethan, who had grown, adopted contacts to replace his glasses, and become quite the attractive young Casanova , had two random girls on either side of him. They giggled in competition for his affection and Ethan smiled shyly at both of them. Zach and Magenta whispered jokes about all of it in each others' ears, laughing whenever a comment hit their funny bone. Will was on the opposite side of the cafeteria at a table full of students who had been labeled as 'Heroes' during Freshman year power placement and that left Layla with no one to really talk to or laugh with.

Her eyes drifted over to the only other table occupied by someone she knew. It was Warren picking at the lunch on his tray. He was sitting alone and it was no secret that that was the way he liked it. Hesitantly, though, Layla made her way over to his table and took a seat across from him.

"What…?" He didn't look up, but rolled his eyes up a bit so he could see parts of Layla's face through the disheveled hair that hung in front of his eyes.

"I, um…" Layla trailed off, inhaling a long, slow breath of air. After a five-second pause she found herself looking Warren in the eyes with an expression that pleaded him not to press further for answers. She felt too lonely for that at the moment.

"Never mind." Warren mumbled and took a bite of his hamburger. Layla eyed him as he ate the meat, wanting to make a witty comment about her own vegetarianism and the slaughter of animals for food, but she decided to let Warren's carnivorous act slide.

Layla continued to join Warren at his lunch table for a an entire week but their collective silence made it feel like years dragging on and on so slowly. Each night before bed, Layla promised herself that she would start up a conversation with Warren and every day before school Warren would promise himself that he'd tell the red-haired hippie to go bother someone else during lunch but neither of them ever got around to doing those things.

Before they knew it, it was that time again. It was time for the Homecoming dance at Sky High and neither Layla nor Warren were really looking forward to it. True, it was their Senior year and every experience during that time was supposed to be memorable. It was their 'last blast', so to speak.

Part of Layla wanted to go just to dress up. Over the summer she was picturing herself as Will Stronghold's date in a dress fit for a goddess with flowers placed in her long red hair. She pictured him holding onto her and flying the two of them up to the high school while other girls looked on, green with envy. That wasn't going to happen, though.

For a moment she considered asking Ethan to go with her as a friend, but a plethora of cute girls had beaten her to the chase.

Over her years at Sky High, Layla had stuck with the same group of friends she had hung out with as a freshman making her pool of friends fairly small and leaving her without many options. Asking Warren Peace didn't even seem like an option at the time, but just one day away from the dance Layla had an urge. She wasn't sure if it was wise to ask Warren to homecoming. A few other girls had asked him and he responded with fire. Literal fire… That was enough to scare them away. Layla wasn't feeling particularly sensible, though.

They sat quietly, every so often exchanging blank and emotionless glances, and ate their lunches sitting at the same table, when all of the sudden both of their voices broke the silence.

"Would you--" They both started to ask the same thing at the same time. Once each of them became aware that they'd interrupted the other both of them became silent, looking at each other expecting the other person to continue their inquiry. The silence came back for a moment, but then…

"Are you going to Homecoming?" Warren asked the question casually, taking a large bite of his lunch and looking at Layla for an answer.

"I was thinking that-- Well, maybe I could-- I, uh…" Layla couldn't manage to spit out an answer and Warren's impatient look only made her stutter more. She gave up on answering coherently when he began to speak again.

"Look, the last thing I want to do is get involved with you and be your rebound from Stronghold. I don't like that crap. That being said…" He sighed, looking up at her. "Wanna go with me?"

Layla's mouth hung open just a little bit. Warren expected her to reply with a 'yes' or 'no', but things are rarely that simple.

"You're not a rebound. Why would… It's just…" Layla, slightly offended but refusing to show it, was failing to be articulate once again. For some reason it was difficult to talk to Warren. "You're not a rebound." She repeated herself firmly.

"Understood." He nodded slowly. "Yes or no, hippie. What'll it be?" She smiled for the first time in weeks and nodded in response to his invitation.

"Why not…?" Warren acknowledged her answer with a nod and a faint smile, but he wiped the smile from his face the moment he realized that it was there.


	2. The First Dance

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of the characters from that movie. Disney does. I do not own the song 'I Shall Believe'. Sheryl Crow and whatever label she's on own that._

The gym was decorated nicely with streamers and helium-filled balloons. Colored lights shone brightly reflected onto the ceiling off of a very disco mirror ball. It was very crowded, but that was to be expected as there were more students attending Sky High than any previous year.

Being more of a spectator than a dancer, Warren walked over to the table of snack foods and punch. He didn't look back at his date to see if she would follow him, but Layla was close behind him. It seemed impolite to be at a dance with Warren and not stick by his side.

Their eyes were fixed on the punch bowl. It seemed that every year there was a new recipe being served at the dances. One year there were little globs of sherbet floating in a miniature sea of Kool-Aid and another year it was made of some sort of punch mixed with ginger ale.

"Drink…?" Warren picked up a paper cup and poured himself some of the punch.

"I don't think my taste buds would tolerate that kind of abuse." Layla wrinkled her nose in distaste, causing a tiny smile to form on Warren's face.

Layla watched Warren sip his punch, eyeing the students who were on the dance floor. She still couldn't believe how well he'd cleaned up. Freshman year he borrowed something of his father's to wear, but this year he'd worn a brand new suit of his own. She never imagined that Warren Peace of all people could look… Well, chic, like a celebrity… She smiled to herself and grabbed a tiny cheese cube from the tray of munchies.

Layla smiled as she saw Zach drag Magenta onto the dance floor as the Electric Slide began to pump from the speakers. He was making a fool of himself shaking his hips and clapping his hands. Magenta rolled her eyes but played along, mouthing a 'hello' to Layla with a tiny wave.

Tilting her head up to look Warren in the eyes, Layla nodded to the floor.

"Did you want to--" But before she could finish her question, Warren interrupted, shaking his head emphatically.

"I don't… Line dance." She looked slightly disappointed, but Warren was not about to go onto the floor doing some stupid dance - Not even for Layla. Maybe he could make a compromise, though.

"I'll do a slow song." He stated simply. She nodded, agreeing to a slow dance with him. Layla tried not to look like a lovesick puppy over such a small thing but her face betrayed her, forming the brightest smile Warren had ever seen.

It was like the DJ was conspiring against Warren - at least he thought so - for only moments after the Electric Slide finished playing, a slow, romantic song filled the air. Couples paired off, some looking awkward with their sweaty palms on the shoulders of their date while others fit perfectly in their significant other's arms. Warren was still processing all of this, standing with his mouth slightly open, when Layla took him by the hand onto the dance floor.

_Come to me now  
And lay your hands over me  
Even if it's a lie  
Say it will be alright  
And I shall believe _

Warren put his arms around Layla's upper body, linking his fingers together by the back of her neck. It had never occurred to him before that she was so small and fragile. Layla wrapped her arms around him, pulling him gently closer to her.

_I'm broken in two  
And I know you're on to me  
That I only come home  
When I'm so all alone  
But I do believe_

He wanted to say something. Maybe a witty or snarky remark or some deep revelation… The moment, though, was too perfect to spoil with dialogue. Layla had never felt this sort of blissful serenity until that moment. She'd thought that her kiss with Will Stronghold, floating outside of the Sky High gymnasium, was as magical as romance could get. She was wrong.

_Not everything is gonna be the way  
You think it ought to be  
It seems like every time I try to make it right  
It all comes down on me  
Please say honestly you won't give up on me  
And I shall believe_

The song faded into a more upbeat one, causing all of the couples to put a little space between them and their partner to allow for faster dancing. Warren, though, pulled Layla closer to him. He was glad that he had agreed to dance with her.

After a moment, though, they pulled away from each other. There were a few other students making comments regarding the unlikely coupling of the hothead and the hippie, some just stared at the couple in disbelief. Warren and Layla, though, pretended to ignore the reactions and gave each other more space.

"You wanna get some air?" Warren broke the silence that had formed between himself and Layla.

"Yeah, actually, that'd be great." Layla smiled, relieved to be getting a break from the dance's atmosphere.

He took her by the hand gently and led her out through the double doors. The two of them walked to the barrier surrounding the school, taking in the view of the city's sparkling lights below them. It would have seemed like a scene from a movie if there was kissing or caressing involved, but they just held hands, occasionally glancing to see how the other was enjoying the night.

"I like this." Layla nodded, looking out over the city below her. Warren looked over to her with a hint of a smile on his face.

"I like it, too." Warren looked away, speaking in a slightly softer tone of voice. He wasn't much for mushy, touchy-feely romance, but it couldn't hurt to state the obvious.

"Thank you for taking me to the dance, Warren." She looked over, placing a hand on his bicep. "I know that you'd probably want to be somewhere else right now, but you came and I'm grateful for that." The corners of her mouth lifted to form a tiny smile. Warren wasn't about to deny what she'd suggested. Truthfully, he would have rather spent the night conversing with Layla over lo mein noodles at the Paper Lantern. Being at Homecoming wasn't killing him, though, and if he wasn't trying so hard to mask it Layla would have seen that he was perfectly content being at the dance with her.

Warren silently leaned in, so dangerously close to Layla that she could feel his hot breath on her sensitive lips. She ran the tip of her tongue over her lips, debating whether or not she should take the opportunity and kiss him. The debate lasted mere seconds, but the very moment she decided to go ahead the laughter of a couple broke the silence.

Both Layla and Warren turned their heads to see who had interrupted what would have been their first kiss. Standing a few yards away were Zach and Magenta, seemingly delighted that they'd caught their friends in an intimate moment.

"Hey, you two." Magenta smiled with a wave, nudging Zach with her elbow before practically dragging him right back into the gymnasium. Layla and Warren were alone once more, but the moment had been spoiled. Layla only looked up at her date with slightly flushed cheeks, then turning her gaze to the urban landscape below them.


	3. The First Battle

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters._

* * *

Warren Peace and Will Stronghold were no longer friends. Warren did not tolerate what Will had become over the years - arrogant, egotistical, and just plain stupid. It didn't help that Will had treated Layla poorly, either. Warren wasn't ready to admit it, but he cared a great deal about how people treated Layla. What was she to him, though? A friend? Romantic interest? He was settling on 'friend' at the moment.

Despite the fact that he didn't like the guy a whole lot, Warren was always teaming up with Will in Save the Citizen with fireballs and the like. Things were fairly calm. Coach Boomer was giving a speech that he considered to be very important. Something about waiting for the right moment to strike, strategizing… Whatever. Layla couldn't have cared less about what he was saying. She watched from the stands, talking about what had happened a few nights a go at the Homecoming dance with Magenta.

"Don't lie to me. I saw you two." Magenta crossed her arms leaning over, prying for all of the delicious details. Layla sighed, not putting up a fight to conceal the events of that magical night.

"I think we had a moment. I mean, I've been wrong about that sort of thing before." Magenta nodded, encouraging Layla to say more with a hand gesture. "You know, I probably am wrong. It's Warren, for Pete's sake. The guy probably doesn't feel anything for me. I mean--"

"Layla!" She nearly jumped out of her skin when Coach Boomer shouted out her name. "Magenta! Both of you, down here." Magenta rolled her eyes, cool as a cucumber, but Layla had to try awful hard to swallow the lump that had found its way into her throat. The Coach had that effect on her when he raised his voice which was quite often, actually.

"I see you two have a fondness for talking at inopportune moments. This is one of them." The Coach stared the pair of girls down. Will was egotistical, but Boomer was something worse - a bully. Layla had thought poorly of the man ever since she first saw him embarrassing freshman students at power placement, but she never said a word against him when he was within a 100-yard-radius.

"Sorry." Magenta couldn't have sounded less sincere.

"Perhaps you'll think twice about doing it next time." He put his hands on his hips, trying to look as menacing as possible. "To cement this lesson in your brains, you two sidekicks can play villains against Stronghold and the hothead."

Magenta shook her head in disbelief. Yeah, like shape shifting into a guinea pig would help her in an effort to shred a dummy-citizen into pieces. Layla's jaw dropped. She felt like screaming, but she managed to speak in a calm voice.

"Coach Boomer, I'm sure that you already know that I refuse to use my powers for show or violence. Maybe we could settle--" Surprise, surprise… Boomer cut her off.

"Don't play 'pacifist' on my time, kid, just play the game." Layla sighed defeatedly and looked to Magenta with a frown. They were pretty much screwed.

Layla couldn't believe her luck. She was about to fight against the guy she knew that she was falling for. If that wasn't enough to ruin a relationship before one even started… But she suited up into protective clothing, every so often glancing across the gymnasium to look at her competition.

"Ready… Begin!" Coach Boomer shouted, once again abusing his super power just to make a point. A very loud point… The timer started and the dummy began to beg 'Save me!' in its almost robotic voice. Magenta and Layla exchanged glances, not really sure where to begin. But then Will made the first move.

Using a backhanded strike, Will Stronghold smacked an unprepared Magenta away from the dummy, sending her flying into a wall. Layla's jaw dropped slightly. She knew that Will wasn't all that cozy and friendly with them anymore, but he struck at her like she was… Well, like she was of no importance at all.

Layla's expression turned to one of complete disgust. She raised her arms over her head, channeling all of her energy. There was no flora in the immediate area, only the plant-life outside of the gymnasium, so it took extra effort to influence the grass, flowers, and trees. She took a deep breath, looking somewhat fierce now as branches grew and broke their way through the gym's windows.

Will was caught off-guard by her strike and was tripped by the vines that were now crawling across the wooden floor. Warren took advantage of Layla focusing her attention on Will and moved to free the citizen, but just as he reached over for the dummy a recovered Magenta leapt in his direction, knocking him to the ground.

"Sorry." She smirked at the pyrokinetic crumpled at her feet. Her apology was no more sincere than the one she had given Boomer only minute before.

Using his super strength, Will tore himself free from the vines that had curled around his limbs. Layla frowned, trying to make things grow faster, thicker, stronger, but Will still had her beat. She hated fighting. It seemed so stupid, especially over a dummy for the coach's entertainment, but she kept at it, determined to beat Will and Warren.

Magenta stayed close to Warren, keeping him busy and distracted as she dodged every fireball he sent in her direction. Layla kept trying to restrain Will with vines and branches, but he broke free every time she thought that she had him beat.

Layla looked at the clock and to the dummy-citizen. Only thirty seconds to go and the dummy hung dangerously close to being destroyed.

Thick green vines curled tightly around Will's torso and limbs, sprouting thorns that cut into sensitive spots, making him yelp to himself and causing the entire gym to snicker. William Stronghold, the product of two superhero parents gifted with two very useful super powers, was being defeated by the girl with the green thumb. He just wouldn't accept that.

With a loud, angered cry, Will tore the restrictive flora away from his body until he was free and then he did something that he would seriously regret. Will punched Layla hard in the gut sending her across the gymnasium and right into the wall.

The crowd of students gave a collective "Ooooh." waiting to see if Layla would recover or not. Magenta stared angrily at Will who was busy freeing the dummy-citizen to keep up his winning streak, ignoring Warren who was just as angry if not more-so than Magenta.

Layla lay crumpled up against the wall trying not to breathe too deeply because of the jabbing pain that came with every inhaled breath. She curled up, holding her lower ribs. A less powerful strike would have been just as effective and wouldn't have hurt her as badly as his powerful punch had, but Will was all about victory and victory isn't as glorious when your rival is still standing.

He stood on the sidelines, holding the dummy in the air with a cocky grin as the buzzer sounded. Will had saved the citizen. Imagine how shocked he was when a certain pyrokinetic teammate sent a rather large fire-ball right to his feet.

"Game's over, hothead, and you won." Coach Boomer crossed his arms. Warren paid no attention to the coach, though. He sent another fireball to Will's feet, trying to scare him before he actually did any damage to the kid. If looks could kill, Will would have been dead in seconds. He couldn't think of why Warren would be coming at him with such rage in his eyes, but even slow, oblivious Stronghold realized the obvious after a while. Warren was angered that Will had hurt Layla and he would pay.

Layla, ever the peace-loving hippie, tried to coax Warren into backing off but it hurt her chest to raise her voice. He wouldn't have listened, anyway.

Will gritted his teeth and charged at Warren, about to hurt him in the same way he had hurt Layla, but Warren was fast and easily dodged the attack. He quickly ignited, holding his flaming arms like weapons in front of him. He swung at Will, aiming to punch him in the jaw, but missed and the only damage done was the singeing of his eyebrows.

"_What the hell?" _His voice cracked as if he was experiencing puberty all over again.

"You _don't _touch her." Warren spoke through gritted teeth, pissed off as ever, and ignited his arms once more. Just as he was ready to throw one last fireball, Coach Boomer raised his voice. He really raised his voice, and it shook the walls and shattered the windows that Layla hadn't already broken with her vines.

"Alright! That's… enough." Boomer stepped in between the two battling students. "This place is brutal." He shook his head with a laugh. "I _love _it!"

The lunch bell rang, and the crowd of students emptied from the bleachers, eager to discuss the Save-The-Citizen incident over sodas and a meal. Will even left, neglecting to apologize to his former friend for practically breaking her ribs.

Magenta stooped down next to her fallen friend, helping Layla sit up straight.

"Wow, I knew he was strong but… Wow." Layla's voice was soft and weak, partially because it hurt to speak but mostly because she was sad. She'd seen her ex-boyfriend transform over the years they'd spent at Sky High and what was once a heart of gold had transformed into a black, heartless hole. He was all brawn with no soul to keep him from abusing his powers. She didn't doubt that he would wind up being a superhero. She knew that he would fight against evil instead of for it, but she also knew that he would have his own selfish reasons for doing so.

Warren paced a short distance for a minute or so before he decided to approach Magenta and Layla. He got down on his knees and looked at her like a concerned parent looking at a child who had scraped his or her knee.

"You okay…?" He looked Layla over, trying to figure out what was hurting her and how he could make the pain stop.

"I'm alive." She smiled weakly. "But I could use some help standing up."

Magenta and Warren each grabbed one of Layla's arms, providing support and lifting her to her feet. Layla winced, pulling her arm away from Warren to hold her stomach.

"I'll kill him." Warren said it simply as if he was talking about the weather. Layla only looked over, wrinkling her eyebrows.

"You know that won't solve anything." She shook her head a little. "Violence only begets more violence."

"Hippie through and through, huh?" Warren smiled faintly.

"That's our Layla." Magenta grinned, still holding onto her friend's arm. "C'mon, let's get you to Nurse Spex to see if Captain Ego did any damage to ya."

Warren took her arm once more. He and Magenta walked slowly so Layla could keep up with her human-crutch friends.

Warren knew that something was happening. He wanted to protect Layla and keep anyone from ever hurting her ever again. For a moment, he thought that maybe she was his first real friend, but something told him that their relationship was something more. He pushed thoughts of romance out of his mind, though, so he could focus on aiding Layla. That was the important thing to do at the moment.


	4. The First Date pt 1

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters._

* * *

Layla sat at home on a Saturday morning. Her mother was downstairs making a nice vegetarian breakfast of pancakes, fresh fruit, and various fruit juices. Layla loved when her mother made breakfast. Other than being a superhero gifted with the ability to communicate with animals, Layla's mother was an excellent cook and handled the role of 'single mother' with extraordinary talent.

Although you wouldn't think so from the shape her locker was in at school, Layla was very much a neat freak when it came to her room at home. The floor was pristine and free from the clutter of objects and dirty clothing. Other than her computer, keyboard, printer, and potted gardenia bonsai, the desk was clean and free from any random mess.

Layla had been taught how to properly make a bed by her mother who had worked as a candy striper, making beds at the hospital when she was Layla's age. There was a technique she called 'the hospital corner' that involved folding the sheets cleanly for a perfect appearance. Looking at her bed after she'd woken up, it was hard to imagine it being messy.

She sniffed the air, smelling the pancakes her mother was making along with the warm maple syrup. Layla's mouth was already watering. She didn't need to be called downstairs by her mother, the aroma of home cooked food was enough.

Wearing her fuzzy slippers and a terrycloth robe over her pajamas, Layla scurried into the kitchen with a smile on her face.

"Oooh, pancakes. This is just what I need!" While her mother was busy at the stove, Layla poured some water into a cup to feed and water the plants she kept on the kitchen windowsill.

"I know things have been tough this year, sweetie. I thought that you could use some comfort food." Her mother smiled and leaned over to plant a kiss on her daughter's forehead.

"You have no idea." Layla rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, ready to take a seat at their dining room table until the doorbell rang. "I'll get it."

She hurried over to the front door, wondering who might be stopping by the house on a Saturday morning. Unlocking the various bolts and locks, Layla opened the door with a smile for whoever was at her doorstep.

But it was Warren.

"Warren?" Her smile faded into an expression of slight disbelief. She stared at him for a few seconds.

"Don't look so happy." Warren smirked playfully.

"Oh, it's not… I mean, I'm happy it's just…"

"And nice slippers." He added, looking at her rather fluffy little pink slippers.

"I got them for, uh… Christmas. They're very comfy." She spoke in an almost defensive sounding voice. Truthfully she was almost mortified that Warren Peace had caught her in the morning, not only without makeup but in her pajamas with messed up hair. Had her superpower been mind-reading, Layla would know that Warren actually thought the get-up was cute. He thought mostly everything about Layla was cute, actually.

"Do you, um, want to come in?" She stepped to the side, holding the door open so Warren could step inside.

"Yeah, actually. If I'm not intruding." He looked at her, hesitating to enter before she shook her head emphatically.

"Nooo! Not at all! C'mon." Warren shrugged and stepped over the threshold. The moment he was inside he found himself sniffing the air.

"Oh, that's the pancakes." Layla explained, leading Warren into the kitchen.

"They're ready, Layla." Her mother didn't even look up from the stove as she moved the pancakes from the griddle onto two plates along with cubes of melon and pineapple. She looked up to see her daughter and a visitor whom she'd never met before.

"Oh, hello. I'm Layla's mother - Ms. Jones." Layla's mother extended her hand for shaking as she introduced herself to Warren.

"Warren Peace. Nice to meet you, ma'am." He smiled just enough to be polite and shook her hand.

"Would you like pancakes? Maybe a glass of juice?" Layla's mother poured two glasses of orange juice, looking up to Warren when she was finished.

"That's kind of you, but no thank you."

"So," Layla sipped at her juice, looking at Warren. "What are you here for? I don't mean to sound so rude, but…" She trailed off, laughing from nerves.

"I was actually going to ask if you were free for the day--"

"I'm free!" She paused, scolding herself for sounding so eager. "I mean, yeah, I'm free. What for?"

"Well, I was going to see if you wanted to come to the Maxville Arboretum with me." Layla's face lit up with an enormous grin which caused both her mother and Warren to smile a little.

"The Arboretum? Yeah! Of course!" She giggled a little, but tried to keep from seeming like a little kid hyped up on sugar. Plants were her thing, even Warren knew that, and the Arboretum had such a nice variety of trees and other sorts of plants.

"Sweetie, you should get dressed." Her mother nudged her with her elbow a little, careful to avoid pressing on the injury her daughter had suffered only a day or so ago in gym class.

"Right." Layla smiled, popping a piece of pineapple into her mouth and chasing it with a gulp of orange juice. "Dressed. Be back in a flash, I promise."

The moment Layla disappeared from the room, Warren began to feel uneasy. He was alone in the kitchen with his crush's mother. True, he would never even think of using the word 'crush'. It seemed so childish and a bit girly.

"So, you go to Sky High with her?" Her mother looked up then back to her breakfast, cutting the pancake into manageable pieces with her fork.

"Yes. I'm on the Hero track, though. We don't see each other much except for lunch and gym." He looked from Ms. Jones over to the staircase, praying that Layla would hurry.

"Oh! I know you. I didn't think you would be so tall and I'd pictured your hair differently…" Warren shrugged, looking confused at her statement.

"Layla's spoken of you. Never mentioned a name or anything, just a pair of 'smoldering eyes'." Ms. Jones laughed lightly. Warren laughed nervously, but was secretly pleased. 'Smoldering eyes?' It sounded cheesy, but it was better than being called a 'cutie'.

Ms. Jones laughed to herself, taking a bite of the pancakes she'd made. "Are you sure you don't want anything to eat, Warren?" She raised a brow.

"Yeah, I'm not really hungry…" He wished that Layla would hurry so he didn't have to listen to any more embarrassingly flattering comments. Smoldering eyes…?

* * *

Layla rushed up the stairs, bursting into her room. She shed her clothing and tossed the pajamas and robe onto her formerly pristine floor. She kicked the fluffy slippers from her feet, one landing against the wall and the other managing to get under her bed.

Was this a date? She smiled at the thought. Warren didn't seem like the type of guy who would enjoy the Maxville Arboretum. Layla didn't know exactly what Warren was into except for maybe fire. She decided that she would make a point of getting to know him. She knew that she would enjoy that task.

But what does one wear when going on a nature walk with someone as amazing as Warren Peace? She had no idea.

Layla looked through her clothes, trying to find something flattering. She wasn't much of a girly-girl when it came to her wardrobe. Her skirts were all longer because she didn't like to show legs or skin. This decision was harder than she'd originally thought.

With a sigh, Layla closed her eyes, spun around once, and pointed at something random - A long green sun dress. She smiled. It was perfect.

* * *

"I can remember when I went to Sky High. Things seem to have changed a lot." Ms. Jones shook her head a little. "There certainly wasn't as much bullying. At least, I don't remember there being so much." Warren just nodded, worried that anything he'd have to say would rub Layla's mother the wrong way. He didn't want to make a bad impression and that seriously puzzled him. He usually had a devil-may-care attitude, but there he was in Layla's kitchen trying to make a good impression on her mother.

"Okay, I'm ready." Warren looked over to see Layla descending the staircase. It didn't surprise him that she'd chosen something green to wear. Sometimes he wondered if she had any clothes of a different color at all. This suited her perfectly, though. It was feminine and flattered every good thing about Layla's appearance. He was speechless for a moment or two.

"What?" Layla looked worried. Why was he staring at her like that? "I… I can change if this isn't, y'know, good or anything."

"No, you look fine." By 'fine' he meant 'flawless', but even when struck dumb by a beautiful girl Warren would never let himself sound so desperate. "Did you want to finish breakfast or…?" He trailed off.

"Oh, no I'm okay." She smiled brightly. Layla still couldn't believe that all of this was going on. It seemed so perfect.

"Well, then…" Warren stood, waving a goodbye to Layla's mother, and lead Layla out the front door to his motorcycle. He was determined to make this a pleasant experience for both of them.


	5. The First Date pt 2

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of the characters from it. Also, I'd appreciate it if you gave me ideas for other 'firsts' in your reviews. I'm planning on doing a 'first Christmas'._

* * *

"Oh, I wish it was spring!" Layla gushed, looking at the various plants growing all around her. "They have a magnolia garden and they come in all sorts of colors." She reached out to touch the prickly branch of a fir tree. "There's white, which you always see, but there's also deep red and pink. Oh, they're so pretty."

"Well, if you want them to bloom you could always use your powers."

"Shh. People could hear!" She looked around, slightly paranoid even though they were the only ones in the near vicinity.

"I doubt anyone would care, but whatever you say." Warren shrugged and the two of them made their way down the path. A sea of deep, rich green surrounded them.

"Austrian pine!" She shouted, then squealing with delight. He had never seen anyone so excited over plant life. "And there's a Fraser Fir!"

"Looks like a Christmas tree, to me." Warren examined the tree Layla seemed seconds away from literally hugging.

"Hey," He slung what looked like a backpack off of his shoulder. "Hungry for lunch, yet?"

"Yeah, actually I really could go for something. I sorta skipped right over breakfast." Layla looked curiously at the backpack , wondering what he had for them to eat. "What'd you bring?" She peered over.

"You'll see. Is there a bench around or a table?" Warren surveyed the immediate area, but all he saw was the path they were on and lots of evergreens.

"In the display garden. We can sit there." She smiled a little, waving for him to follow her as she took a fork in their path towards the visitor's center of the arboretum.

It didn't take Layla's knowledge of botany to appreciate the beautiful plant life all around them. Warren couldn't name any of the trees, shrubs, vines or flowers, but he knew they were beautiful and he enjoyed looking at them. He wondered for a moment what it was like to have the power to create and give life to plants. He had seen Layla cause seeds to sprout spontaneously and grow into young plants, but all he ever did was burn things. Yes, it was a useful power especially in battle, but it was, more or less, destruction. Was that what he was destined to be? A destroyer of things? A villain like his father, Baron Battle? He shook his head, trying to focus only on the beauty around him. The flora, Layla… They were lovely distractions from depressing thoughts.

"What'cha thinking about?" Layla couldn't help but notice that Warren's smile had faded from his face. Her mind was full of worries. Was he bored by their nature walk? Was he bored with her? She scolded herself, thinking that she could have done something to prevent that smile from ever leaving his face. She wanted him to be happy.

"Nothing." It was a lie, but an understandable one. He didn't want to bring Layla down. He wanted this to be a wonderful experience for her. She nodded, knowing that he wasn't being honest but also knowing that prying into his life would only cause resistance.

"Here!" Layla pointed to the building only yards away. In the spring or even summer the Arboretum was always packed with botany-freaks and nature-lovers because of its famous flowering plants. They had flowers of every kind and flowering trees all thriving in this climate. Now, though, almost Christmastime, the only flowers blooming were those planted in the greenhouse which adjoined to the visitor's center. Layla didn't mind. She found beauty in plants even when they weren't in bloom.

Warren opened the door leading into the visitor's center and was greeted with a gust of air warmed by the greenhouse. He stepped inside, holding the door open for Layla in a display of chivalry. She stepped inside, looking around at all of the blooms and taking in a breath of flower-perfumed air.

"Wow." She leaned over to sniff a cluster of lilacs. Warren took a seat on a nearby bench, unzipping his backpack and pulling out various Chinese takeout boxes then setting them next to him. Layla took this as her cue to sit down.

"You brought takeout?" He responded with a nod. "From The Paper Lantern?" Another nod. Layla smiled, peeking inside one of the boxes. She secretly hoped that he didn't bring all meaty dishes, but decided that verbally voicing her concerns would be impolite.

"I've noticed that you avoid meat like the plague, so I got vegetable fried rice for you and egg rolls for me." Warren held a hand over the white box stuffed with veggies and rice, heating the contents so they wouldn't be lukewarm and nasty. He pulled a plastic fork from his bag and handed the food and the utensil over to Layla.

"Wow, Warren," She accepted the things he'd given her. "Thanks, and I really, really mean it." Layla smiled appreciatively, taking a bite of her food as Warren heated up his egg rolls.

"I thought you'd like it. All of this, I mean." He gestured to their surroundings, then taking a bite of food. He was lucky to work at a place that gave him free food as part of his salary. He also considered himself lucky because he knew that Layla's favorite place to eat was The Paper Lantern and he often saw her there when he was at work. This would remain a secret, of course, because no guy ever really wants to let on how much he really adores a girl.

"Oh, I do. I love it." It was better than any date Will Stronghold had ever taken her on. Will had a fondness for action movies and sports while Layla didn't really enjoy either. This was practically magical. It was as if Warren had gotten into her head and seen everything she adored. All that was happening was wonderful.

Layla reached over to the nearby tendrils of what she assumed was a columbine and made it bloom into a blossom of deep burgundy and light, ethereal pink. She plucked it and handed it over to Warren who eyed it, confused.

"I just thought I'd…" She shrugged, slightly embarrassed. Layla scolded herself like she often did when her actions didn't cause the desired response right away. She thought that Warren was thinking she was stupid or silly, but her mood quickly lifted as Warren smiled, sniffing the flower.

"Nice one, hippie." He tucked the flower in his shirt pocket. There was a short silence as both of them ate, every once in a while casting a glance in the other's direction. In that way they were sort of awkward when they were together, but for the most part it was like poetry or magic.

"What do you think you'd be doing if you weren't at Sky High?" Layla looked at him curiously, taking a bite of rice and waiting for an answer.

"I think that I'd probably be lost. Having super powers is like having your identity handed to you on a plate."

"I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit." She scrunched up her nose, disagreeing that Warren would be lost. Maybe he didn't see it, but Layla knew that he was strong and knew what he was doing. Maybe it would take some work, but she knew that he had a good head on his shoulders and would find his path even if he hadn't been gifted with fire.

"Well, thanks. I think." He shrugged, swallowing a bite of egg roll. "How about you?"

"I'd probably still be a zany-yet-composed environmentalist." She grinned playfully. Warren couldn't help but smile, too. If he had been a plant, Layla would have been his sun. He thrived on the warmth she radiated.

"What are we?" Layla tilted her head, looking over to Warren.

"What do you mean?" He thought he knew what she was asking, but he wanted to be sure before he jumped to any conclusions.

"Well, I know at the very least that we're friends, but I…" She shook her head a little, not knowing if she should just burst out and reveal her feelings for him or not. She knew how she felt about him, but didn't really know for certain if he reciprocated those feelings for him. Layla had known ever since that night Freshman year at the Paper Lantern when he first sat down and talked with her, but she was only realizing it now.

"I'd like it if we were more than friends." He stated it simply, hoping that he would get a good response from Layla.

"I think I'd like that, too." Her smile widened a little bit. Was it official, then? She certainly hoped so. No one made her feel the way that Warren did. It all seemed so right.

Warren scooted closer to her on the bench, setting his egg rolls aside. For a moment he just looked at her. He really looked at her. He picked apart every detail of her appearance which he loved so much, paying special attention on her lips and eyes. Her eyes were brown if you only gave her a quick glance, but if you really examined them you would see golden flecks near her pupils and prominent green bits all over the iris.

He could have lost himself in her eyes if her lips hadn't caught his attention as well. Her lips were naturally redder than most. At first he'd thought that it was makeup, but her lips were just as rosy now as they had been when he'd seen her sans makeup in her robe and slippers. They were pouty without looking like she'd had collagen implanted into them and most of all they were begging to be kissed. Warren couldn't ever deny that request.

Warren leaned in until he felt her breath on his mouth. He nipped her bottom lip gently before taking it between his lips, sucking ever-so-gently and kissing. He was about to pull away, take in her reaction, but Layla put a hand on the back of his head, pulling him even closer and returning his nip.

She traced the very tip of her tongue over his lower lip, then planting a kiss just below his mouth. The kiss deepened more every second. No one was in the visitor's area with them to see their passionate display of affection, but even if there had been a crowd nearby Warren and Layla would still be kissing.

It was good that they were alone, though, because as their kiss became more intense more and more of the flowers surrounding them began to bloom. The leaves and the tendrils of the columbine Layla had caused to bloom just minutes ago were now thriving and tickling the skin of their faces. Layla didn't mind and it didn't even seem like Warren noticed.

"Ow!" Layla pulled back, jerking her hand away from his. He pulled back, only then realizing that he'd ignited his arms during their kiss. She giggled nervously, hoping that he wouldn't be upset with himself over a simple mistake like that, but his expression suggested that he was slightly angry with his own inability to control his powers.

"Sorry." He spoke in a low voice, looking away from Layla for a moment. "I guess I just lost myself, there."

Layla smiled, putting her unburned hand on his shoulder and leaning in to kiss him lightly on the mouth.

"I'm fine. See?" She held up the hand he'd burned with his touch. It was a little red and sore but there was no real harm done. Warren took that hand and planted a gentle kiss on the skin that had been burned.

This was the beginning of something truly wonderful.


	6. The First Christmas pt 1

_DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters._

_Reviews are always welcome even if they're negative and/or mean._

* * *

It was the last day of school before Christmas vacation. Everything at Sky High was relaxed; even Boomer was a little easier on the students. Students who didn't plan on seeing each other over Winter break exchanged presents and holiday greeting cards. Those who did plan on getting together just sort of enjoyed the calm environment.

Meanwhile, although he didn't show it, Warren Peace was going crazy. There was only one week to go before Christmas Eve, the time that he and his mother exchanged gifts. If he was only buying for his mother things wouldn't have been so stressful, but this year Warren was also giving a gift to his new girlfriend - Layla.

Warren wasn't one to go out of his mind with worry over anything. He was usually very calm and at ease. This was their first Christmas together, though, and he wanted to make it a good one. Layla had told him over and over that she didn't need a gift and that just being together was good enough for her. He didn't buy it.

Layla was stressed, too, and for the same reason. She'd been trying to collect clues and hints as to what a guy like Warren would like for a Christmas present. Gift certificates and gift cards were an obvious solution to this problem. He would be able to use either one to buy something he really did like. They were, however, completely impersonal and that wasn't the kind of gift Layla wanted to give.

* * *

"Man! You are gonna _love _it." Zach gushed over his gift for Magenta. He'd spent hours fighting crowds at the mall just to get it and he was certain that she'd love it. Magenta would have liked anything he gave her, and Zach knew that, but he was sure that she would adore this gift. Magenta smiled, rolling her eyes playfully at her boyfriend.

Ethan's new girlfriend, Katie, sat on his lap, trying to become a part of their friendly group in the cafeteria.

"Did you buy me a gift?" She asked in a sickeningly sweet tone of voice, looking right into Ethan's big brown eyes.

"You know it, baby." He grinned, pecking her on the cheek. "Only the best for my girl."

Layla smiled at the two couples, wondering where Warren was as he was noticeably absent from their lunch table. That night she and her mother were trimming the tree. Her mother, who seemed to like Warren almost as much as Layla did, suggested that she invite him to help decorate. She didn't know how Warren would react, but just thinking about spending the night with him, sipping some hot drink, maybe getting close… She would have been lying if she had said that her thoughts were strictly PG. Layla never really thought that she had a dirty mind until she'd met Warren who, even when she was dating Will, was a regular star in her dreams and fantasies.

"What'd you get Warren?" Magenta slid closer to Layla, speaking to her as an aside girlfriend-to-girlfriend.

"I didn't." Layla frowned and sighed. "Not yet, I mean. I don't know what to get him."

"Yeah, I know how you feel. I still have to get Zach his gift." Magenta softened her voice on purpose so Zach wouldn't hear. "It's like… I know _him_, but I don't know what to _get _him." She shrugged. "I'm sure we're not the only ones suffering from this dilemma." She smiled sympathetically, putting a hand on Layla's shoulder.

* * *

"Mr. Peace," Mr. Medulla's voice woke Warren up. "Catching up on lost sleep, I see. In my class, too."

Warren, although he was generally apathetic about school, hardly ever let himself fall asleep and when he did sleep he made sure that it was in a class that wasn't taught by anyone who would care all that much. And Mr. Medulla…? He cared.

"Sorry." He mumbled, gathering up his things.

"If it wasn't so close to the holidays I'd put you in detention. Be grateful for your sense of timing, Mr. Peace." Warren nodded, making his way out of the classroom and down the hall to the cafeteria. Mr. Medulla had waited to wake Warren up, leaving him with only five minutes to eat lunch. _Wonderful_, he thought, deciding that he would just eat later on that day.

Warren, still a little red in the eyes from sleeping, breezed into the cafeteria. Layla caught his eye with a tiny wave of her hand and a smile. He returned the smile, nodding so she knew that he saw the gesture. She didn't know it, and he wouldn't tell her, but she was the reason that he had slept in Medulla's Mad Science class.

He'd spent the greater part of the night before on the internet. He had browsed just about every single website out there on botany and environmentalism, trying to figure out what to buy a girl with a green thumb.

"Hey, there." Layla walked up to him with a bright smile. "I was wondering where you were. You okay?" She tilted her head, slightly concerned.

"Yeah, I sort of fell asleep so…" He trailed off with a shrug. "No worries."

"I wanted to ask you…" She hesitated, not really sure how to go about things. "I mean, if you're free and it doesn't totally bore you… I mean…" Layla sighed, frustrated with her inarticulate speech. "You wanna help decorate for Christmas? It could be fun and there'll be hot chocolate, or cider if you prefer, maybe with cookies, too." Her cheeks flushed a bit at the realization that she'd been rambling.

"Well, if there's hot chocolate…" He smiled warmly, a rare treat. "I'll be there. What time?"

"Six is good." Layla was so glad that he agreed to join her. Warren smiled at her reaction and walked with her, hand in hand, over to their lunch table to sit for the remaining five minutes of lunch.

* * *

Layla and her mother lugged in box after heavy box of trinkets and decorations from the garage. There may have been only two stockings to hang, but they had enough tinsel, lights, and ornaments for a family of twelve. Frosty The Snowman was on the television and, since Ms. Jones had put the volume on full blast, the sounds of the cartoon were blaring all throughout their house.

With grunts of effort, Layla put up the artificial tree all be herself. Her mother sprayed the tree with pine-scented air freshener to add a sort of realism to the display.

Then, at the sound of the doorbell, Layla's face lit up like the Christmas tree they were about to decorate. Layla shuffled over to the door and opened it, thrilled to see Warren standing there.

"Hi!" She moved to the side so he could step inside. Warren planted a light kiss on her forehead and entered the Jones Residence. Once he was inside he sniffed the air, smelling the fragrance of pine trees.

"You have a tree?" He scrunched his forehead slightly, only glancing at the tree standing in the living room.

"Oh, it's not real." Layla explained, pointing to what could have easily been mistaken as a genuine pine tree. "We don't believe in chopping down living things just for decoration during the holidays. It's artificial and," She picked up the can of air freshener. "It smells real and it won't kill the ozone layer!"

Warren smirked. It would figure that Layla came from a long line of tree hugging hippies. He just hoped that she'd never have to learn about his own lineage. He came from a long line of villains, excluding his mother, of course. He couldn't imagine someone as pure and sweet as Layla getting along with his father. Not even he really got along with the infamous Baron Battle.

"Where do we start…?" He looked at the floor surrounding the tree. In one corner was a long string of lights which, it seemed, would be hopeless to untangle. Right beside it was a box full of shiny tinsel and beside that was a box of Christmas ornaments. Warren had been expecting something simple and fun, not a mountain of a task to take on.

"Lights first, then tinsel, and then come the ornaments." She nodded with her hands on her hips. That was how they did it every Christmas.

"Right…" Warren looked over the sea of Christmas decorations, then stooping to gather the string of lights that he needed to untangle.

"I'll take one end and you can take the other." Layla then proceeded to stoop down and pick up one end of the string but wound up bumping heads with her boyfriend. They both laughed softly at their own awkwardness, smiling at each other and making sure they hadn't done any damage to each other. Somehow during all of this they managed to untangle the lights. Layla smiled at their success and, with Warren's assistance, began to cover the tree in bright shiny lights.

"Darn!" Her mother shouted from the kitchen. Both Layla and Warren raised their eyebrows, wondering what had gone wrong.

"Sweetie," She peered out from the kitchen to look at the two of them. "I need to go out and buy cinnamon and cloves for the cider. Can I trust her with you, Warren?" She smiled knowingly while her daughter blushed bright red.

"I… guess." Warren shrugged, wishing she'd never asked. Ms. Jones nodded with a tiny smile, heading out to the grocery store. Even though Frosty The Snowman was still blaring loud and clear, it seemed like it was dead silent and not one of those good silences either. Layla blamed her mother for it. After a short pause (which seemed much longer than it actually was), she smiled and held up the garland of tinsel.

"Time for tinsel!" She chirped happily, breaking the silence. Both she and Warren reached for the sparkling garland at the same time, nearly crashing heads together once more, but this time they didn't pull away. Warren leaned in closer, placing a tender kiss on his girlfriend's lips and let the tinsel fall to the floor.

"We haven't even put up the mistletoe yet." She murmured, staying close to Warren and returning the kiss.

"Who needs mistletoe?" He gave a devilish smirk and continued to kiss Layla. He deepened the kiss, sucking gently on her lower lip then massaging her velvety tongue with his own. Layla wrapped one arm around him, pulling him as close as he could get. She placed her free hand over his heart. Feeling it beat was more of an aphrodisiac than she had expected it to be and she found herself pressing against him harder, even lifting her leg to wrap around his hip.

Warren sighed a hot breath onto Layla's lips and she moaned softly in delight as he teased every single bit of her mouth. Layla moved so that she was seated on the living room sofa and Warren took it as his cue to position himself on top of her. She ran her fingers through his thick, disheveled hair pulling it away from his face so that she could kiss him more easily.

The two of them smiled contentedly. Neither of them had thought that a night of Christmas tree decorations would turn into this, but it had and they were both grateful for it.

Warren hand slid under Layla's shirt caressing the part of her breasts that wasn't covered by her bra. She smiled in ecstasy, arching her back slightly and running her own hands under his shirt and over the skin of his back.

As Warren's kisses went a bit south, Layla tilted her head to the side to allow easy access of her neck. He traced his lips just below her jaw and then nipped at her earlobe lightly. Both of them were in paradise and just when they had forgotten all about Christmas trees and ornaments they were jolted back into reality by the sound of the door opening and shutting.

Both of them immediately hopped to their feet, tripping over themselves and each other, and straightened out their crumpled tell-tale clothing. Layla smiled awkwardly, looking over to take a look at Warren, then shouting in that cheerful voice.

"Back so soon?"

Her mother just walked in, toting a small paper grocery bag containing spices for mulled cider. She cast a glance in her daughter's direction with a smile.

"Sweetheart, the grocery store is practically next door. Where did you think I was going? Mexico?" She laughed lightly and set out the things she'd need to make hot cider.

"I hope that you two worker elves have worked up a thirst, because I'm making hot cocoa and hot, mulled cider!" Her mother smiled, blissfully unaware of the naughty things going on under her roof.


	7. The First Christmas pt 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High. As always, comments and reviews are welcome.

* * *

"I'm glad that we're getting a break from my mom." Layla sighed, leaning back into the soft loveseat that was currently occupied by herself and Warren. They sat in the basement with Frosty The Snowman on television as their only light.

Layla and her mother had the bad habit of stuffing trash and random objects in the basement when there was no room to put them anywhere else. This gave the basement its character, if rooms can actually have character. There were Halloween decorations in one corner, a box with her mother's wedding dress in another spot, Layla's old high chair and her old car seat from when she was just a tiny little thing. It was a very eclectic atmosphere as you might imagine.

"She's alright. Likes to talk a lot, but she's cool." Warren shrugged. Layla's mother was certainly a character, but she wasn't so wild that she would make him uncomfortable. True, when Ms. Jones had revealed that Layla described him as having 'smoldering eyes' he was a little shy. Girls called him hot every day of the week, but never girls like Layla. It was a very pleasant surprise - One that he'd never tell Layla about for fear of embarrassing her to death.

"Yeah," She laughed a little. "Saying that my mom is cool is like saying _I'm_ cool." A smirk popped up on Layla's face. Warren just looked at her and shrugged.

"People would be boring without quirks and flaws. One might say that your mother's nerdiness makes her even cooler than someone less quirky." Layla shrugged at this. She loved her mother, but she would never describe the woman as being cool. Everyone was entitled to their opinions, though.

"Frosty is so Jesus." Layla stared, shaking her head at the snowman dancing on her television. Warren had to do a double take and wondered if he understood was Layla was saying.

"Frosty _the Snowman _is Jesus?" He didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Oh, totally. I've had this theory since I was in second grade." She nodded, smiling a little and looking over to Warren.

"You're nice, but you just don't strike me as a religious person." He looked to her, still wondering what a snowman had in common with the Christian son of God.

"I'm not, really, anymore. When dad was around we went to church regularly but never since after his funeral." She sighed hating to bring up death especially when it was someone she had loved a great deal. "But do you want to hear my theory?" Warren nodded with a small smile.

"Alright, so Frosty came to life by means of magic, like Jesus supposedly did. Frosty came to life when a magic top-hat was placed on his head and Mary, Jesus' mother, became pregnant by what some might consider magical means." Already Warren had to try his hardest not to laugh at the ridiculousness of Layla's theory.

"Jesus had his followers in his later days and, just like him, Frosty had a following of kids. Then comes the evil character - The guy who wants his top-hat back from Frosty and the Romans who wanted to crucify Jesus--"

"Do you realize how crazy you sound?" Warren did laugh that time and rolled his eyes a bit for emphasis.

"Just hear me out!" She objected with a big grin on her face.

"Frosty melts in a greenhouse, but like Jesus he later comes back to life!" Layla nodded. "And that's that."

"That is so wrong." Warren laughed more, shaking his head. "You're insane." He looked over to find Layla smiling brightly back at him.

"Well, it's just a theory…" She murmured, laughing softly. It made perfect sense when she thought about it to herself, but she would never admit to thinking about this theory every single Christmas. Even though she knew that Warren was incredibly patient and tolerant when it came to his very nutty girlfriend, she didn't want to be thought of as crazy. 'Quirky' maybe, but not 'crazy'…

"So, what's your favorite Christmas cartoon?" Layla looked over curiously, cocking her head to the side slightly.

"I've never been a fan of cartoons." Warren stated simply.

"Not ever?" Her eyebrows raised incredulously. She couldn't believe that anybody was never into cartoons, especially of the Holiday variety. What child doesn't grow up watching Charlie Brown and his pathetic Christmas tree? Or Rudolph and the aspiring-dentist-of-an-elf? Of course, it didn't surprise her a whole lot. Warren didn't strike her as a saccharin-sweet, animation loving kid. He was, most of the time, a stone-faced pragmatist who didn't like to indulge in immature pleasures.

"Well, when I was little I watched He-Man, but that's it. No Christmas cartoons like good ol' Jesus the Snowman." He pointed to Frosty on the television screen.

"You're going to keep teasing me about that, aren't you?" She put on a pout and looked at Warren pitifully.

"Well, if you keep doing that…" His statement trailed off into silence as he smiled at her. Any other girl would have gotten an eye-roll or maybe a condescending remark. Hell, if he was with any other girl he wouldn't have even come over to decorate a Christmas tree. Layla had this irresistible childlike charm, though, that couldn't really be described. You had to be near her to understand what made her so special and wonderful. It couldn't be put into words and come out sounding right.

"Movie, then. What's your favorite Holiday movie?" She looked over at the dark figure seated next to her with curiosity in her eyes. His looks even captivated her with shadows playing on his features and only a Christmas cartoon on the television for lighting.

"I guess 'White Christmas'. My mother used to watch it whenever this time of year came around. It was sort of a tradition for her." He stared off into the distance, remembering the Christmases in the years gone by. A vaguely sad sort of look came to his face as he remembered his first few Christmases. Obviously he didn't have clear memories of the first three years, but he remembered his fourth Christmas spent with his mother and father in surprisingly vivid detail. He missed his father a great deal and, for a while, he had forgotten just how much it hurt to be without him. Layla noticed the change in expression, but didn't press Warren for an explanation. Instead she leaned over, pressing her own soft body against his muscular self. He wrapped an arm around them and soon they were in the 'spooning' position. It amazed him how well her delicate body fit into his arms. He got a certain kind of comfort just from her being there. It reminded him a lot of his mother - kind, patient, tolerant, and so beautifully pure.

He imagined Layla being to him what his mother was to his father. Warren saw himself as dangerous and destructive, bound to wind up being a villain like his father. When he was with Layla he could never imagine doing anything evil only because he knew it would hurt her. Even if it was only for her, Warren would never let himself become what his father had.

"This Christmas is turning out to be alright." She smiled up at Warren who returned the smile and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"It's not Christmastime, yet." Warren murmured.

"It feels like it, though." Layla sighed contentedly and sunk further into his strong arms.

Warren slid downward, slouching on the loveseat so he could more easily kiss Layla. He made a trail, grazing his lips over her skin from her temple and right to her lips. His kissed her gently, at first, relishing every sensation that the kisses created, but surprisingly Layla made the kiss fiercely passionate and heated. Layla maneuvered herself so that she was no longer spooning with Warren, but sitting on his lap straddling him with her legs on either side of his torso.

The music from Frosty the Snowman made for an odd soundtrack for all that they were doing, but neither of them minded much. After all, they were too focused on each other to care about anything else.

Layla peeled Warren's tight t-shirt off of his torso, leaving his chest open for lots of kissing and touching. She nuzzled the skin directly over his heart, feeling the organ pumping blood and life through his body. Layla then planted a series of light kisses down the middle of his chest. She teased him, fluttering her naturally long eyelashes over his neck as she butterfly-kissed him.

Warren was a little shocked, but didn't mind that Layla had taken the lead. It did make things easier, after all, even though he loved her shy side just as much as he did her boldness.

Interpreting her actions as the go-ahead, Warren took the hem of her shirt, lifting it and beginning to remove it from her body. She lifted her arms high above her head to make the removal of her clothing easier.

Layla found herself staring at Warren's muscular chest. She was delighted to have discovered that Warren, even though he wasn't gifted with extraordinary strength like her ex-boyfriend, looked twice as good without a shirt.

She had certainly never done anything like this with Will. Everything between them felt forced and awkward. She couldn't let Will see her half-naked because she never even really let him truly see her when she was fully clothed. Some people are perfectly comfortable having meaningless purely physical relationships, but Layla wasn't one of them and, if she couldn't let Will get to know her mind and soul, she wasn't about to let him know her body.

Warren tossed her shirt over to the corner of the basement haphazardly, taking in all of her beauty. He checked to see if she would object and when she didn't he reached around to her back, undoing the clasp of her bra leaving her naked from the waist upwards.

Layla was gifted with the purest alabaster skin he had ever seen. The contrast of rosy pink flesh on her lips and breasts against the milky-white of her flesh elsewhere was one of his favorite things about her appearance. He had a long list of things that he loved about Layla, and, even though she wasn't exactly a Hollywood bombshell, he found Layla to be the most beautiful female creature he had ever laid eyes on.

"I feel kind of odd doing this with your mother upstairs." His words were muffled as he spoke in the middle of a kiss. Layla stopped dead in her tracks and a look of regret came onto her face.

"Warren, I don't want to be a tease, but…" She sighed, frowning from worry as she spoke. "I'm not ready for _that _yet."

Warren nodded, patient as ever, kissing her softly once more.

"Can we just…" She trailed off with a sigh, afraid that she'd ruined their moment. Her fear melted away, though, as Warren wrapped his arms around her, caressing her exposed skin with his lips and fingertips. They changed position to allow them to lay down together. Warren's lower legs hung off of the loveseat as there wasn't enough room for his tall body. Both of them, though, were completely content with their situation, and soon Layla had drifted off to sleep as the beating of Warren's heart served as the sweetest lullaby she had ever heard.


	8. The First Christmas pt 3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High, Christmas, shopping malls, etcetera etcetera blah blah…

Comments, even negative ones, are all very welcome.

* * *

"I just want to let you know that it's okay not to get me anything." Layla smiled, speaking honestly. Truthfully, she knew that she'd love anything Warren gave her as a Christmas present, but the last thing she wanted was for someone she loved as much as Warren to be so pressured by the idea of 'the perfect gift' that Christmastime became less magical.

Okay, 'magical' was a cheesy word, but she couldn't think of any other way to describe it. For the first time in years Layla felt alive. Will had made her feel that way in the beginning of their relationship, but it faded. She hoped and prayed that what she felt for Warren wouldn't fade.

"I did." Warren dog-eared the page of his book, setting it aside so he could pay attention to Layla.

"You did what?" Layla scrunched her nose in confusion.

"I did get you something." He shifted his weight so he could look her in the eyes. She smiled brightly when he told her that and that caused Warren to return the smile, albeit in a slightly more subtle way.

"I got you something, too. I just hope you don't think it's stupid or lame or--"

"Nah," Warren shrugged. "I mean, I wouldn't tell you if I thought it was stupid…" He trailed off with a smirk and Layla laughed lightly at his honesty while she kept her own insecurities to herself. Would he think that it was incredibly lame?

"I guess we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see how lame our presents are." Layla sighed a little.

"About that…" Warren's smile faded and he hesitated, only bringing it up because he had to get it in the open. Layla looked at him expectantly with a curious look on her face.

"I always spend Christmas Eve with my mother. I'm sort of all she's got and she's… Well, my mother and _you _are all I really have right now. I can't abandon her like that." Layla's eyes lit up a bit. She'd realized that Warren was a loner and that he hardly ever spoke to anyone other than her, but she never realized that he thought of her as being all that significant. Now, he was saying that were it not for her and his mother he would be alone. She couldn't ask him to change a tradition like that. It wouldn't be right.

"Well…" She paused for a second. "You could both come visit me and my mother. The more the merrier, right?" Layla's smile was one of hope. Christmas would be so perfect if she could have both her mother and Warren by her side. Meeting the elusive Mrs. Peace would be wonderful, too.

"I'll run it by her and see what she says." Warren looked at Layla with a smile.

* * *

"I don't know, Layla." Her mother stood at the sink, half paying attention to her daughter's pleas and half paying attention to the sweet potatoes she was cutting up for Christmas Eve dinner.

"Please…?" Layla put on a pout - Something that she, as a fairly non-manipulative girl, hardly ever used to get things to go her way.

"You two have only been together for a few months and--"

"A few months is a long time!" Layla protested loudly. Her mother shook her head, continuing to chop the sweet potatoes into tiny chunks.

"Have you asked his mother about it?" Ms. Jones put the potatoes into a casserole dish and paid full attention to her daughter who seemed to be one step away from getting on her knees and begging. Layla was usually a fairly level-headed girl. It was unlike her to press her mother so hard for anything.

"Well, I wanted to ask you first…" She trailed off, pleading with her big brown eyes.

"It's fine with me." She sighed, finally giving in to her daughter who was now smiling and squealing with delight.

"I guess that means I'm cooking for four, now." Ms. Jones firmly planted her hands on her hips, looking all over the kitchen. Lucky for them that they would be prepared to serve food for more than just Layla and her mother. It was always a tradition for their two-person family to cook lots and lots of food. They baked at least five dozen cookies, made Ms. Jones famous cinnamon apple sweet potato caserole, and they were always stocked with fresh veggies, either store bought or grown by Layla in her vegetable garden just outside, so they had plenty of things to munch on.

"I'm going to go ask them in person!" Layla chirped happily, practically bouncing out the front door and down a few blocks toward the Paper Lantern. This Christmas was shaping up to be the best one ever.

* * *

Layla knocked on the apartment door and, impatiently, kept knocking like an annoying little kid. She had to talk to Warren that very minute. Waiting was just plain torture. She only stopped after hearing a few curse words muttered by someone inside who was obviously annoyed with the persistent knocking. Her big grin faded a bit, turning into just a hint of a smile, but her grin reappeared in full force when the door was opened.

"Hey!" She flung her arms around Warren the moment she saw him. He awkwardly patted her on the back, not knowing where all of her cheeriness was coming from.

"Hey…" He smirked a little. She could be so odd sometimes, but what was truly strange was the fact that he liked those idiosyncrasies and tolerated her sometimes wacky behavior. Warren took a step into his apartment so Layla could enter.

She smiled, looking all around the cozy home of the Peace family. There was a noticeable lack of personal effects like mementos or photographs of Warren and/or his parents hanging about, but the walls were covered in a diverse array of art. Some were photographs of natural beauty, some were sketches, and some were real, oil-painted paintings. It seemed like a nice place even if it was a little small.

"Is your mother home?" Layla looked up at Warren, dying to spill the good news.

"Yeah, she's--" He pointed down the short hallway that led to the two bedrooms of the apartment, but was cut off by his mom.

"Warren," She raised her voice a bit so he could hear her clearly a room away. "Who's at the door, Warren?"

A statuesque goddess of a woman breezed out of her boudoir and walked into the living room. Layla's eyes widened a little bit. Warren's mother was beautiful, stunning, aesthetically gifted… Whatever you chose to call her, it all meant the same. She had exotic features - dark hair, dark brown eyes that could easily be confused as being black pools, tanned skin, and lovely lips. She was the sort of woman grown men chase after.

"Mrs. Peace…?" Layla tilted her head, suddenly overcome with shyness. "Hi, I'm--" Ms. Peace raised a hand with a smile, interrupting Layla.

"You're Layla, yes?" Layla responded with a timid smile and a nod. "Well, you're just like I imagined you would be. Come, let's sit down." Warren's mother gestured for the two of them to sit on the various mismatched pieces of furniture which decorated their small living room. The wooden chair Layla chose as her seat groaned under the pressure of her weight, causing an immediate uneasiness for the poor redhead.

"Oh, it's old, but it won't break, dear." Ms. Peace smiled kindly, reassuring Layla that she wouldn't damage any of the furniture. Their things were old, but they had a sort of durability that most old things don't have. Obviously, the Peace family chose function over form. It was the practical thing to do.

"I, um…" Layla began hesitantly, wanting to give a good impression. "I wanted to know if you would both like to join my mother and I for Christmas Eve dinner. She makes the best pumpkin pie and, well…" She sighed lightly. "I was just hoping that you would both come over."

Ms. Peace looked over at her son, taking in his response to Layla's invitation before voicing her own answer. He only looked at her, unsure of what to say. She then looked to Layla with a friendly smile.

"If you're certain that we wouldn't be intruding or bothering your family with our presence, then yes, I would love to join you." She nodded and looked over to Warren to see if her decision had gone over well with him. He only smiled pleasantly, knowing that Christmas would be even better when shared with more loved ones.

* * *

"Alright," Layla rushed from room to room, straightening out anything she perceived as being messy or disorganized. Everything had to be perfect. This wasn't just about spending Christmas Eve with her boyfriend. It was all about first impressions. She had to seem like a composed lady who Ms. Peace wouldn't mind seeing her son with. In reality, Ms. Peace already thought that Layla was charming, but Layla wasn't satisfied with that.

"I think everything is ready." She sighed, smiling at her mother who was arranging the various serving dishes full of fine vegetarian cuisine around the dining room. Her mother looked her over, laughing a little bit which caused Layla's smile to vanish.

"What is it? I've got-- Oh…" She looked down with a giggle. Layla was still wearing her fuzzy slippers.

"I'll keep my eye out for our guests, Layla. You get some real shoes on." Her mother pecked her on the forehead and went back to setting the table.

Layla smiled, shaking her head at her obsession over something that, in the long run, might have been considered trivial. She ran up the stairs and into her room slipping her feet out of the comfortable slippers and into a pair of slightly formal flat-soled shoes.

She looked around the bedroom, trying to figure out where she'd hidden Warren's present, when it hit her - She hadn't gotten Ms. Peace anything for Christmas. Her jaw dropped for a moment, leaving her open-mouthed and wondering how she could fix the situation. Warren and she would be at the house at any minute. She looked around, trying to see if she owned anything nice enough to serve as a re-gift, but she saw nothing that would be right for the exotic woman she'd met only the day before.

Then it hit her. Layla reached for her gardenia bonsai, her favorite decoration in all of the house, and plucked a flower from it. She ran downstairs as fast as she could, grabbing a rather large coffee mug from the kitchen cabinets. She took a little bit of potting soil from her mother's plants on the windowsill and sprinkled it into the mug. Layla then planted the gardenia flower, making it take root and grow in the strange makeshift pot. She looked at the tiny plant with all of its fragrant white flowers and smiled. That would be an excellent gift.


	9. The First Christmas pt 4

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters. I do not own Sheryl Crow's song I Shall Believe. I love all of your comments and critiques. Please continue to tell me what 'firsts' I should include.

* * *

Ms. Jones surveyed the dining area, looking pleased with her work. The table was set for four with her best china, her mother's old lacy tablecloth, and a short, stout little cranberry scented candle set square in the middle of the table. She fidgeted, trying to get the utensils set properly with the knives facing the right direction. Layla's mother was far from being a socialite, but she knew what was proper when it came to dinner parties.

Layla approached her mother from behind, tapping her on the shoulder which startled the woman a bit. She turned to face her daughter with a bright smile on her face.

"Everything's set." She straightened out her daughter's shirt, then pointing to a tiny spot on the fabric. "Darling, I think you've got potting soil on your top." Layla's eyes widened and she blushed faintly, looking down to see that her mother was right. At the very top buttonhole of her pristine white lacy shirt there was a small, barely noticeable splotch of dirt. She dabbed at it with her fingertips, hoping to brush it off before the company arrived, but just as she began to clean it up she heard a knock at the door.

"Oh, crap," She frowned, brushing off her shirt as she walked to the front door, and peeked out the front window to make sure that it was Warren and his mother. Her frown disappeared when she spotted Warren, holding a small box close to his heart with his hand. His mother was standing by his side, dressed in a fairly casual flowered dress. She was just as beautiful if not more than the first time Layla had seen her. Her long, dark hair was done up in a simple bun with little curly tendrils dangling over her face.

Just when Warren was going to knock again, Layla opened the door and smiled brightly at her guests.

"Welcome! Merry Christmas!" She held the door open and Warren, murmuring 'Ladies first', let his mother enter before he did.

"Thank you, Layla, it's very nice to be here." Mrs. Peace looked around the foyer area at all of the decorations. There was no real theme when it came to home décor, but everything looked homey. It was completely different from the Peace residence, but it had a homey sort of ambience to it which made it just as charming as the apartment above the Paper Lantern.

"Hello!" Layla's mother smiled widely, holding out a hand for Mrs. Peace to shake. "I'm Molly, Layla's mother."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Molly." Mrs. Peace shook her hand with a pleasant half-smile. "I'm Warren's mother. Call me Pelefina."

Layla's eyebrows raised slightly. Mrs. Peace's name was 'Pelefina'? It was certainly more exotic and beautiful than, say, Layla or Molly. She was over the issue in a matter of seconds, of course, and was soon ready to celebrate the holidays with everybody.

"Please, take a seat at the table," Ms. Jones gestured over to the perfectly set dining room table. "Layla and me will get you guys your beverages. What would you like to drink?"

"Water will be fine for me." Mrs. Peace slid a chair out from the table and took her seat, neatly unfolding the cloth napkin onto her lap. She didn't come from wealth, but she had the table manners of a high society debutante. Warren followed suit, taking his cues from his mother.

"And you, Warren?" Ms. Jones asked the question while pulling out two glass tumblers to serve the drinks in.

"I'll take a Coke, if you have it." He looked up to the Layla with a playful sort of smirk. Soon, the Jones ladies emerged from the kitchen each holding two glasses filled with the suggested beverages. Pelefina smiled a bit, taking a sip of her ice water.

"Can I be of use to you?" She looked up at Ms. Jones who immediately shook her head.

"Oh, no, you're a guest!" Molly grinned brightly, disappearing once again into the Jones family kitchen only to reappear in mere seconds toting two casserole dishes filled with vegetarian goodies.

"Right here is the sweet potato casserole," She set it down, then pointing to the other dish she held. "And these are stuffed mushrooms."

Layla could feel her mouth watering right away. The sweet potato casserole was and always had been her favorite recipe of her mother's. They didn't have it very often only because Layla's mother was too busy to cook a full meal every day.

"Sweetie," Ms. Jones looked at her daughter who was just about to take a seat across from Warren. "Would you go get the rolls and butter?" Layla nodded with a tiny smile, standing back up and walking into the kitchen.

"Be sure to save room for desert," Ms. Jones smiled, looking from Warren to his mother. "I've been told that my coconut cream pie is the best in all of Maxville."

* * *

Warren was content with his surroundings on this Christmas Eve. It certainly beat eating bourbon chicken with fried rice. All that Layla's mother had cooked for them was positively delicious and she was right - She did make the best coconut cream pie.

He leaned back against Layla's cushioned headboard, making himself comfortable. The two of them had headed upstairs as soon as their mothers started to talk about what adorable infants they had been and what wonderful young individuals they had become. It was nauseating and just before they had made their exit Layla's mother had pulled out the baby pictures.

Pelefina had left the house only an hour ago, leaving Ms. Jones to reminisce with only herself and a cup of tea. Warren had stayed behind, hanging out with Layla in her room.

"My mother really liked the flowers you got her." Warren yawned and looked over to Layla.

"She didn't seem all that thrilled." Layla sighed.

"No, that's just how she is. Cool, composed, and not really one to gush over material things." She responded with a nod, not really sure if he was telling the truth or just trying to make her feel good.

"Speaking of material things…" Layla stood up from her seat at the foot of her bed, making her way over to her desk. She reached around her computer and revealed a small gift wrapped in bright red paper. She handed it over to Warren with a slight smile, hoping and praying that he wouldn't totally hate it.

Warren eyed it curiously, shaking it a little in an attempt to figure out what was underneath the Christmas wrapping paper. He undid the green ribbon bow and peeled the paper off to reveal a book - the complete stories of Franz Kafka. He smiled, flipping through the pages, and looked back up to Layla.

"I see you reading The Metamorphosis all of the time, so I assumed you liked Kafka." She smiled nervously, not really certain that Warren liked it until he leaned in, wrapping one arm around her and hugging her close. He withdrew, kissing her lightly on her jaw line, slipping the small box Layla had seen him with earlier out of his pants pocket.

"Oooh, my turn." She smiled to herself, ripping the paper away from her gift impatiently. Her curiosity peaked when she saw that it was a jewelry box. She felt a combination of excitement and disappointment in herself. He was buying her jewelry and she had bought him a book. It didn't seem like a fair trade-off.

Layla's eyes widened and a big, bright grin popped up on her face the moment she opened the box to see its contents.

"Oh!" She pulled out a necklace. It was just a simple gold chain with an amber charm dangling, but to her it was the most lovely thing she'd seen in a while.

"Amber… Comes from trees." Warren stated simply. "And I know how much you love trees." He smirked at her playfully, wrapping his arm around her once more.

"Oh, put it on me!" She handed Warren the necklace, lifting her long red hair up and away from her neck. Her smile hadn't faded at all. Warren slipped it around her neck, fiddling around with the clasp for a moment.

"There." Layla let her hair down, turning to give her boyfriend a light kiss on his lips before she looked at her reflection in her bedroom mirror.

"It's beautiful." She grinned. "Thank you!"

Silently, Layla promised herself that she would never ever take the necklace off. It was beautiful, but it meant more to her than any other pretty thing in the entire world. She turned and gave thanks to Warren in the form of many kisses only interrupted by her soft, euphoric laughter. He returned the kisses, smiling very faintly, and nuzzled his head in the spot between her head and shoulder.

Warren loved all of it. The meal had been excellent. He felt so welcome into the Jones household and they had treated him and his mother so kindly. Now, the moment he was experiencing right then with Layla in his arms was like paradise. He imagined that this was what Heaven was like.

Layla sighed contentedly, slipping her hands underneath his shirt to run them over his bare chest. She continued to kiss him, but her kisses turned into soft little nips on his mouth and lips. A giggle escaped her lips as she kept at it with the playful display of affection.

He didn't protest when Layla slipped his shirt over his head and tossed it on her bedroom floor and she didn't mind when he unbuttoned her lacy blouse. Layla did the rest of the work for him, slipping her arms out of the blouse and tossing it to the corner of her room.

Warren pulled Layla closer to him. Her soft curves pressed against his chest and their bodies seemed to melt into one entity. He could feel both of their hearts pick up pace.

"Layla," He whispered her name in between passionate kisses. "Are you… Should we…" He trailed off with a sigh, forcing himself to stop so he could be sure of what she wanted.

"We should." Layla stated with certainty, leaning in for a deep and passionate kiss. He reached around to her back, fumbling with the impossible clasp of her bra until she took mercy on him, removing it herself.

Warren unbuttoned, unzipped, and removed his slacks, kicking them aside and getting back to kissing his red-haired angel as soon as he could. She trailed kisses from his mouth, down his neck, and stopped right in the middle of his chest.

He almost died right then as he looked down on Layla whose eyes met with his own. It was amazing how Layla had transformed from a meek little girl into the seductress lying in his embrace.

She slipped her skirt off of her lower body, leaving the two of them with only their underwear and even that would be gone in a moment.

Layla, unlike Warren, had never been this far. All of the bold moves she'd made didn't come from experience but rather guesses. All that she did she did because it felt right. Being with Warren felt so incredibly right.

Every caress felt twice as intense compared to any cuddling they had done before this. This was true intimacy and they were both loving it.

Warren hesitated for a moment, taking in her facial expressions, her sighs, everything… It was the greatest aphrodisiac he'd ever experienced.

Layla stifled a yelp of pain as he entered her. He looked down at her, worried, and brushed a bit of red hair out of her eyes. She smiled a little at his display of concern.

"Warren," She moaned his name, taking in a sharp breath of air as they continued. He was gentle and tried to be aware of what Layla was feeling. He wanted things to be special. Layla deserved it.

Soon they had found a rhythm, Layla raising up her hips to meet with his as he moved, getting closer to her with every thrust. The moans and sighs became more frequent as they pushed on towards heaven.

"Warren," She closed her eyes whispering his name and practically collapsed. Soon after, Warren laid next to her. He trailed his fingertips over her alabaster skin, causing a trail of goosebumps to form.

"Merry Christmas," Warren murmured into her ear, then pecking her on her temple.

"Merry Christmas," She looked back at him with a tiny smile.


	10. The First Tragedy pt 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters. I do not claim to know much about mental illnesses and certainly nothing about catatonia or schizophrenia. All of the craziness is gleaned from my own experiences and is, therefore, not totally bunk.

* * *

"You're burning up!" Layla jerked her hand away from Warren's forehead. She'd heard the statement used before in reference to fevers, but never had it been more true than with Warren. Apparently, when you're a pyrokinetic, your fevers are more like wildfire. It sure did look like he was feeling it, though. His sheets were damp with sweat. Warren was most definitely sick.

"I'll take some Tylenol. I gotta work today." He sniffled miserably putting his fingers to his aching temples.

"Oh, come on," She looked at him worriedly. "You should stay here - in bed - and get well!" Warren only responded with a shake of the head. Layla frowned.

"I need to work. We need the money." He slipped a wrinkled pair of pants over his boxer shorts and hopped to his feet weakly.

"I'm sure I can help you out financially." She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I don't need charity." His eyes narrowed angrily at her suggestion. Maybe if he wasn't so sick he would have been nicer. At least that was what Layla was trying to convince herself. It wasn't him being short-tempered but rather influenza or something like it. As she always did when Warren slipped and said something mean, Layla immediately forgave him without saying another word about it. Layla sighed with her hands on her hips like a frustrated kindergarten teacher.

"Well, I could bus tables for you." She suggested, shrugging a little. There was a long pause as Warren stared at her. Although he was a modern guy with modern ideals, Warren always thought of it as the man's job to bring home money and pay for stables like food or medicine. Having Layla go to work in his place conflicted with those ideals. He was feeling so very sick, though, and he wasn't going to argue with Layla over something so trivial.

"You'd do that?" He raised his eyebrows almost in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Layla smiled brightly at her boyfriend. He nodded with a small, grateful smile and collapsed back into his bed.

"Ohh, man, I owe you." He muttered, curling up and clinging to his pillow.

"Yes, yes you do." She smirked. "I'll come visit later if you aren't asleep." Layla planted a light peck of a kiss on his forehead like a doting mother and took the stairs down to the Paper Lantern's kitchen. How hard could his job be?

* * *

Now it was Layla who was sweating, carrying trays of food to and from the kitchen. She was out of breath but the patrons of the Paper Lantern weren't about to have mercy on her. In fact, from Layla's point-of-view, they seemed to be even harder on her than they ever were on Warren. This was the opinion of a tired, stressed-out, sensitive young lady, though, not a level-headed pragmatic pyrokinetic.

"Sweet and sour chicken with wheat noodles…" She set down a plate in front of a man who was seated by himself. He responded with a scowl and a glare.

"This is not what I ordered." He stated, staring at the plate in disgust. "I ordered pot stickers and rice."

Layla's mouth dropped slightly. She looked from the man to the plate in front of him, frowning.

"I'm sorry, sir." She laughed nervously. "Simple mistake. My fault. Pot stickers it is!" She chirped with a forced smile on her face, grabbing up the plate of sweet and sour chicken.

"Miss…?" A woman sitting at the table just behind the man raised her hand politely to flag Layla down. "Did I hear you say 'sweet and sour chicken'?" Layla nodded. "That's my order." Layla's eyes widened just a little.

"OhmygoshI'msosorry!" All of the words in her apology melted together in a moment of embarrassment. Layla set the plate of chicken in front of the woman who just smiled at her politely.

"Are you new, dear?" The woman tilted her head, smiling up at Layla sympathetically.

"Well, I don't really work here… I'm just filling in for someone who got sick." The woman nodded with that kind smile stuck on her face.

Her conversation was interrupted by a harsh voice screeching in Mandarin. Layla winced, not knowing the words that were said and yet understanding the woman perfectly. They wanted Warren back. He was smooth and composed and didn't confuse pot stickers with chicken. Layla frowned, tears welling up in her eyes just from the stress, but she tried her very hardest to keep it all inside. This was a favor for someone she loved very much and she wouldn't ruin it by cracking under pressure in front of paying customers. So she did what was necessary - She bailed to the employee restroom.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid…" She murmured, sitting down on a toilet. Layla had a newfound respect for waiters, busboys, and anyone else involved in the restaurant business. Had she known that it was going to be so difficult she might had thought twice about temping for Warren. She thought that all busboys did was wipe the tables clean and wash the dirty dishes. Apparently 'busboy' at the Paper Lantern meant 'doing anything you're told.' She was waiting for the order to burst into a song and dance routine.

Layla tore off a square of toilet paper, dabbing her eyes with it so no one would know about her brief lapse in sanity. She stood up with a sigh, facing the rest of the day-shift with a determined attitude. Of course, the moment she stepped out of the restroom a chef from the kitchen tapped her shoulder, speaking loudly in Mandarin.

"I don't speak Chinese!" Layla said in a much louder voice than she had intended to, making her seem a bit rude. The man spoke again, this time slowly and in English

"You have toilet paper on your shoe." He pointed to the white trail of paper clinging to the heel of her shoe. Layla blushed more fiercely than she'd ever thought was possible.

"Thank you…" She squeaked out in a meek voice, lifting her leg to peel the paper from the sole of her shoe. Could things get any worse?

* * *

"Hey…" Layla whispered, opening Warren's bedroom door just a crack so she could see if he was awake or not. When she spotted him staring blanking up at the ceiling she stepped into the room, toting a brown paper bag underneath her arm. Warren looked up at the sound of her entrance.

"So… You survived." He smirked as playfully as one can be when they feel like their head is being crushed under many, many tons of rock.

"I almost didn't make it." She frowned miserably, then replacing the scowl with a tiny smile. "Anyway, I got you some wedding soup from the Italian eatery across the street. It's not chicken noodle soup, but I'm hoping it has that same medicinal affect." She set the brown paper bag on Warren's nightstand. He scooted over, allowing her room to sit on his bed, and propped himself up on his elbow.

"I'll eat later, but thanks, Layla." She smiled at him, feeling much like a teenage Florence Nightingale. They sat in silence for a moment before Warren's mother burst into the room, smiling brightly and yet still looking like she was only half-there.

"Warren! Your father is on the television! Oh, hurry!" She disappeared, darting into their living area where the television sat. Layla felt sort of excited for Warren. After all, he never got to see his father. The infamous Baron Battle was stuck in prison away from his loved ones. Warren, however, didn't look excited at all. If anything he looked slightly sad.

"Stay here…" He muttered to Layla, kicking himself free of his sheets and blankets to stumble into the living room. Layla, though, followed him, peeking around the wall to see him hugging his mother tightly. The woman she saw was far from the strikingly beautiful and confident person she had seen that night that she'd first met her. She looked disheveled and drowsy. The oddest part of all was the television. It was turned off and the screen was blank, but Pelefina Peace stared at it like a little child watching Sunday morning cartoons.

Layla couldn't hear what Warren told her, but he was surprisingly patient. It almost seemed like he was the parent and Pelefina was the child. He gently pryed her away from the television and led her down the hallway. As the two of them got closer, Layla stepped back into Warren's bedroom and pretended as if she hadn't seen anything at all.

Warren stepped back into his bedroom without saying a word. He slipped back into his warm bed and stared at the ceiling. Layla was afraid to ask what had happened, but she didn't have to. After a moment, Warren sat up.

"It's the Commander." His eyes narrowed as he growled out Steve Stronghold's codename. "I should just kill him." He swallowed the rather large lump that had found its way into Warren's throat. He had an odd look about him. Yes, there was anger in his face, but more than that there was heartbreak. He looked defeated and broken and he was beginning to cry.

Layla frowned as well, flinging her arms around him in a hug only to be pushed away the moment she got close to him. She stepped back, taking a seat away from him on a chair in the corner of the room.

She felt so hopeless, sitting there as silent tears streamed down Warren's face. She wanted to ask the obvious questions - What was wrong with Mrs. Peace? Why was he crying? And, most of all, what did Mr. Stronghold have to do with all of it?

She didn't have to ask. He was about to tell her everything.


	11. The First Tragedy pt 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters. I do not claim to know much about mental illnesses and certainly nothing about catatonia or schizophrenia. All of the craziness is gleaned from my own experiences and is, therefore, not totally bunk.

* * *

"It's the Commander." He growled the statement, dashing away the tears that streaked down his face with his hand. "If it weren't for him…" Warren trailed off, shaking his head. He looked up at Layla who really wasn't sure what to make of the situation at all. 

"Layla, the job bussing tables, living like we're destitute in this tiny apartment… It's all because she needs the money for treatment." He was silent and stone-faced for a moment, not even looking at Layla but staring at the wall behind her. He used to love getting lost in her eyes but at the moment it hurt to let her in. It hurt to see her feeling sympathy for him.

"She's sick…?" Layla spoke in a soft voice, looking over at Warren with concern showing in her eyes.

"Yes." He stated simply with a nod, glancing back at her. Warren felt bad for burdening her with the knowledge. It would have been much easier if she was to go on believing that his mother, Pelefina, was a poised, retired super heroine - a statuesque beauty who'd loaned her dark features to her only son. He wished that he could live that lie as well, but life wasn't perfect. It was far from perfect, actually, and he knew all about that.

"Wh… What's the matter?" She asked the question hesitantly, her curiosity pushing her to inquire about something that seemed to be a sensitive subject.

"She's sick. She's been sick since Will's dad took my father away." He hugged his pillow close to him like a child might do with a teddy bear or a doll, hoping that hearing all of this wouldn't drive Layla away from him. The last thing he needed at this point was to be alone.

"I don't understand." Layla scrunched her eyebrows in confusion.

"They say…" He trailed off, staring at the floor. Layla didn't press him to continue, but soon he was speaking again. "All of the doctors who have seen her say that it was already there, lying dormant. The sickness, I mean, or at least a predisposition to being ill."

"To understand how horrible it was to see my father taken from us and put into such a terrible place… My mother loved my father with all of her heart." He sighed, taking a breath before continuing. "I mean, they were very much in love. She was the only one who really…" Warren stopped speaking shaking his head.

"Once he was put away, she became depressed. Really, truly depressed. She needed me to get her out of bed, to fix meals… She had no will to live. That's when they started." He looked down at the floor once more, trying to hold back even more tears. He was a stoic guy, never showing much emotion except for anger, but his mother's illness was breaking his heart.

"When what started?" Layla asked in a barely audible voice. She was afraid to press him for answers but she wanted so badly to be Warren's confidante and to be his shoulder to cry on. It may have been a bit selfish, but she only wanted to be the one who could make him feel better. She wanted him to be happy and she wanted to be his reason for happiness.

"Visions, bouts of paranoia, delusions that she believes are reality…" He rubbed his eyes once more, although it seemed that the tears had stopped.

"Oh," She gasped slightly, still trying to be a good girlfriend in a tough situation. Layla didn't know what to make of it. She had heard all about mental illness before this, but never to such an extreme degree. Magenta, her best friend at Sky High, suffered from Bipolar Personality Disorder away from the public gaze. All she had to do was go to talk therapy and take a few pills and she was right as rain or at least mentally stable. Warren's mother seemed to be a much worse case.

"Is she on medicine?" Layla wondered if it would be acceptable for her to take a seat closer to Warren, but decided to stay put in the corner until he had let the sorrow wash past him.

"Yes." He nodded. "Medicine and weekly electro-convulsive therapy." Layla's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as she stared in disbelief.

"You mean _shock therapy_!" Her mouth dropped open a bit. "What.. That's like torture, isn't it?"

"She's under anesthetic during the whole process… It doesn't hurt and it-- Why am I explaining this to you!" He raised his voice glaring at Layla with such anger in his eyes. She took that as her cue to stop asking questions.

Warren stood up, wobbling slightly on his feet as the fever had made him dizzy. He leaned with his back against the wall, looking at Layla and trying to summon the maturity to apologize for his minor outburst.

"It's not torture. It worked for a while. There was…" His gaze shifted to the floor. "Hope. Just a little bit, but it seemed like enough. I'm just afraid that she's going to wind up in a state hospital."

Tears were welling up in Warren's eyes once more just from the thought of his mother being locked up in some sterile white space with lights that are harsh and too bright having her medicine served to her by apathetic nurses' aides. She deserved better than that. Of course, people don't always get what they deserve. Warren had learned that lesson the hard way.

"Well, what good can they do if--" Warren shot her a glare that was meant to be one of threatening anger, cutting her off before she'd finished the question, but she could see past his tough façade. She could see the tears in his eyes. She didn't cut herself off mid-question just because he'd spooked her. She'd stopped speaking because he needed silence. His eyes were pleading for silence.

"She's been having delusional episodes more often. I don't know if I have the strength to watch over her. I'm just…" His voice faltered as he began to cry again. "Weak. I'm weak. The woman gave me life and I can't take care of her most basic needs."

"Oh, Warren…" Layla's voice was soft. She felt so helpless seeing Warren so sad and without hope. She wanted so badly to wrap her arms around him and provide solace from life's more difficult obstacles, but he didn't seem to want to be close to anyone. She couldn't imagine what he was feeling. Yes, they both had only one parent around and at first she thought that their situations were similar. After examining the details, though, she saw that they couldn't be more different. She had a bubbly, not to mention _sane _mother who was always there for her. Warren's mother was a ghost haunted by her own mind. She couldn't always take care of him but he always took care of her. It was a sad sort of role reversal and Warren shouldn't have experienced that, but life had thrown him one hell of a curve ball. It was his job to handle all that life had handed over to him, good or bad. Layla felt so fortunate to have a life that was easy in comparison to her boyfriend's.

"You're sick. You should rest." Her suggestion came out in a soft little voice as she was half-afraid that he would snap and shout or say something mean to her. Warren just nodded.

"I think I'll have that soup, now." He forced a half-smile onto his face, removing the plastic container of wedding soup from the brown paper bag. Warren held his hand over it for a few seconds, heating the contents so it wouldn't be tepid and disgusting. His powers could be really handy at times. He removed the lid and took a plastic spoon from the bag, slurping at the broth unenthusiastically. Even really delicious foods seemed blasé when one was consumed by a physical ailment. Layla smiled, though, glad that Warren had stopped crying and seemed to be calming down.

"Do you have soda? I always find that the bubbles are good for an upset stomach."

"Yeah, in the refrigerator. I could get it if--" Layla cut Warren off, standing up from her seat in the corner.

"No, no. You're sick. Make yourself comfortable and I'll take good care of you." Warren rolled his eyes, smirking just a little bit to show that he wasn't totally annoyed with Layla who had made making him feel better her mission in life.

Layla exited his room, humming some pop song to herself in an attempt to lift her own mood, and turned to enter the kitchen. She was jolted back into reality, though, as she rounded the corner and found herself face-to-face with Pelefina Peace.

"Oh!" She jumped a little, then laughing at her own skittishness. "Oh, Mrs. Peace, I'm sorry. You sort of…" She trailed off, noticing Pelefina looking at her with an odd sort of blank look in her eyes. She wasn't really sure of what to make of it. "You sort of scared me." She finished her sentence, wrinkling her eyebrows at the woman who stood before her, lacking any sort of emotion on her face.

"Mrs. Peace, is everything alright?" She tilted her head curiously, looking the woman in her eyes. Layla compared her expression to that of a zombie. It was as if she was dead. Beautiful and certainly not decomposing, but lacking any sort of soul or spirit that would have brought emotion to her face and life to her eyes. Layla knew that something was wrong and, although she hated to burden him any more than he already was, she knew that her only option was to go to Warren.

"Warren…?" Layla called out his name, her voice shaking just a little with worry. "Um, your mom is…"

Mom - That's all he needed to hear. He hopped to his feet just as he'd done when Mrs. Peace had called for him to look at the television. He hurried into the hallway to see his mother staring into space blankly.

"Mom…?" He took her gently by the shoulders shaking her just a little bit. "Mom!" Warren shouted, on the verge of panicking. He shook her harder, so very worried about what was happening. She'd seen, smelled, and heard things before that weren't there. She'd told Warren that they were being hunted by unseen forces when, in reality, they were safe. He had seen her illness manifest itself in many ways but nothing like this. Warren Peace would never admit it, but he was terrified for his mother.

* * *

The paramedic pushed the gurney Pelefina Peace laid on into the ambulance. Her face was still void of emotion and her eyes stared into empty space. 

"We'll take her in for a psych evaluation." The paramedic stood before Warren and Layla with his hands on his hips. "It could be an epileptic seizure or maybe even…" He trailed off, causing both teens to worry even more.

"If you'd like, you could come to the hospital in the ambulance with your mother." He looked at Warren with sympathy in his eyes. "You, too, if he doesn't mind." He glanced over at Layla.

Warren took a pause and then nodded. "She'll come with me."

The paramedic nodded, holding the back door open so Warren and Layla could go with Mrs. Peace to the hospital and shut it once they'd taken their seats inside.

Everything seemed so surreal to Layla. How could life go from being so perfect to so scary? And to think that it was only the beginning…


	12. The First Tragedy pt 3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters. I do not claim to know much about mental illnesses and certainly nothing about catatonia or schizophrenia. All of the craziness is gleaned from my own experiences and is, therefore, not totally bunk.

* * *

Warren and Layla sat down in front of an empty desk within the hospital walls. Pelefina Peace hadn't moved a single bit since Layla had called the paramedics, causing Warren to become sick with worry. She'd been through a lot over the years since her husband had been imprisoned, but never anything like this.

Now all was quiet as various doctors flipped through what seemed to be an endless bunch of pages that made up Pelefina's medical records. It was all there - a record of mood swings, delusions, and hallucinations that had occurred over the years.

CAT scans, CT scans, and electroencephalographs proved that Warren's mother had not experienced a seizure. When he heard that news he was slightly relieved but still overcome with worry. What had actually happened to the woman? Doctors couldn't answer him right away and he nearly ignited his arms from the impatient rage growing inside of him.

Suddenly, the door opened and a tall, lanky man in a white coat entered the room. Layla and Warren stood up, turning to face the doctor.

"Mr. Peace…?" The doctor held out a hand to be shaken. Warren took it, causing the doctor to wince from the heat of his hand.

"I'm Dr. Mathur and I'll be the doctor taking care of your mother during her stay here." He made his way around the desk, taking a seat across from Layla and Warren.

"What do you mean 'her stay'?"

"Well, obviously something is really troubling her psyche. It will take some time to treat her illness and from the way things are looking right now I would suggest her staying here under our close watch." Dr. Mathur leaned forward, his elbows on his desk, and tried to look as sympathetic as possible.

"I can watch her." Warren stated simply.

"Mr. Peace, I don't think you understand your mother's condition." The doctor was walking on eggshells now. He could see the look in Warren's eyes. There was so much anger and sadness in his expression but more than anything else there was love for his mother. Love can make people do crazy things.

"I can make sure she takes her medicine. I can make sure that she doesn't have any access to things that can hurt her. What the hell can _you _do that I _can't _do?" Warren had raised his voice almost to the point of shouting at the doctor seated across from him. Layla put a hand on his arm meaning to calm him down but she jerked it away. He was really burning up. She only hoped that he wouldn't ignite in front of the doctor.

"She'll have doctors, nurses, and trained professionals watching her constantly. If something should happen we will be right there next to her." The doctor pressed on. Having seen worry manifest itself in different ways, Warren's anger barely phased him. "I would also like to see your mother receive electroconvulsive treatments two times a week."

"She's already getting it once a week." Warren's voice had softened a bit. "Even that fucks with her memory. What's two treatments a week going to do?" For the first time in a while, he was truly frightened of what fate had in store for his mother.

"Well, it depends. There may or may not be memory loss, headaches, muscle cramps… I'm sure you're familiar with the list of side-effects from her previous treatment." Warren nodded.

"Will it help?" He asked in a barely audible voice.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" The doctor leaned closer, having not heard Warren's inquiry.

"Will it help? Will she get better?" He gritted his teeth together, trying so very hard not to get visibly angry.

"I'm sure her lucid moments will become longer and more frequent, but I can't promise that she'll ever be completely free of the psychotic symptoms she's been displaying."

"Well, then…" Warren suppressed the urges to scream or cry. He knew that would do him no good. "I guess it's best that she stay here…"

There was a heavy silence in the room. Dr. Mathur had been through this song and dance routine many times, but never had he come across someone so young taking care of his mother like Warren had. It bothered him a little bit, but he didn't show it. He approached the subject with a professional aura about him. It was funny how a psychiatrist could be so uneasy when it came to emotions.

"Would you like to see where she'll be staying?" Warren only nodded, standing up once he was sure that Dr. Mathur was finished with him. Layla followed suit, leaving the room right after Warren and the doctor.

"Warren!" A familiar voice called out. It was Pelefina, perfectly lucid and, even though she was messy and disheveled, she had the looks of a goddess once more. Warren smiled brightly, running over to his mother and giving her a big, tight hug.

"I was so worried about you." He brushed her dark hair away from her eyes. "I thought you'd gone away for good." Warren had to try hard to swallow the lump in his throat. 'Happiness' didn't even begin to cover the joy he felt to see his mother awake and mobile. Even Layla was moved by his expression and actions.

"I would never leave you, Warren." Pelefina held her son close to her, almost crying herself. She had been informed that she'd fallen into a catatonic state for a brief period of time. She was also told that it would be in her best interests to allow Dr. Mathur to hospitalize her for as long as necessary. She was as eager to go through with that plan as her son was comfortable with the idea of putting his mother away, but even she knew that it was for the best.

"I'm staying here for a while, Warren." His mother pulled away from their hug slightly, now pushing his dark hair out of his face. "I'll be safe here."

Instead of protesting or getting angry, Warren pulled his mother close to him once more and buried his face in her long dark hair.

"I can take care of you." Warren pleaded in a soft voice. "I'll keep you safe."

"No, sweetheart. I need things that nobody at home can give me." She shook her head, her mascara slightly smudged from all that had happened during the day. "Not you, not dad… No one but the doctors."

"If you'd like, you can run home and get some things to personalize your mother's room." Dr. Mathur stepped up to Warren and his mother, interrupting a very private and emotional moment. Instead of cussing the man out, Warren nodded in silence then turning back to his mother.

"What do you want me to bring?" His voice was still softened with emotion but he had stopped his crying.

"Oh, honey, I'm sure you'll pick out all of the right things. If you get a chance, though, get the picture." He nodded with a smile, knowing just what she was talking about.

* * *

"We're back!" Layla announced cheerily, her arms full of miscellaneous things. Warren had assured her that every single thing she held was important to his mother. A nurse entered the room right after Layla.

"Do you mind…?" Warren eyed the nurse, wanting privacy for their meeting.

"Sorry, doll. You brought stuff with ya'. I'm just here to make sure it's nothing dangerous."

"Well, it's not like we brought a Swiss army knife and a kilo of coke." Layla snorted as she laughed to herself, her face going blank when she realized nobody else was laughing.

"No sharps, no drugs, and nothing that can be turned into a weapon." The nurse stated with her hands on her hips. "We can start by taking this to the front desk." She snatched up the gardenia plant in a coffee mug Layla had given Mrs. Peace for Christmas.

"But that's personal!" Layla protested.

"And it's _glass_. Glass _cuts_." The nurse huffed, a little peeved even though she was used to that whole routine. "I'll keep it up at the nurses' station so she can see it when she likes."

Warren laid everything left out on the stiff little cot that his mother would be using as a bed. There were books, clothing, his mother's favorite chewing gum, a deck of playing cards, and a picture. In the picture was a very happy Pelefina holding a very small Warren standing next to her husband and his father, Baron Battle. He smiled faintly at the picture. His memories of those days were few and faint, but they were priceless.

"I'll need to take this, as well." The nurse pulled the sash off of Pelefina's bathrobe, reasoning that it could be used to create a noose.

"It's eight o clock." Pelefina murmured, looking out to the end of the hallway at the clock. "Visiting hours are over… You guys should be leaving." Warren nodded sadly, giving his mother one last hug before leaving the room.

"Layla!" Layla turned after hearing her name. "Come here, sweetheart." Wrinkling her eyebrows, Layla was concerned as to why Mrs. Peace wanted to talk to her.

"Take good care of him, will you? Even when he says he doesn't need it." The woman sighed, her words coming out in a soft whimper. "I'm so scared for him. Please take good care of him for me."

Layla nodded, smiling just a little bit, and exited the room.

"What did she say?" Warren asked the question in a soft voice, stepping outside of the ward when a guard unlocked the door with Layla close behind.

"She's just worried about you." She leaned in close, wrapping an arm around Warren and planting a kiss on his shoulder. Layla was determined to carry out Pelefina's wishes. She would love Warren, come what may…


	13. The First Valentine's Day pt 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters. Feel free to comment or flame me or anything, really. I love attention, good and bad.

* * *

It was lunch time at Sky High, an ordinary day, really, but so much had changed. Although he had many people sitting or standing near him, Will Stronghold was feeling very much alone. He would have sit with his old friends from freshman year but time hadn't healed the wounds his sudden rejection had caused them. They were still bitter about it and they weren't about to show the kindness he had denied them over the past years.

Ethan and Katie had gotten serious, going on frequent dates and always sitting together during class, lunch, or at any other time. Zach and Magenta were getting serious, as well, but he was still true to his outrageous personality and she still rolled her eyes at his every stunt.

Warren had grown quiet, not even speaking as often as he used to with Layla. She didn't mind, though. She approached him fearlessly, every day doing what Pelefina Peace had asked of her. She loved him and kept him from being crushed by life's plentiful obstacles.

A face had returned to Sky High, one that only the senior class remembered. A reformed Penny had returned, held back a year because of her former allegiance to Gwen Grayson or Sue Tenny as she had been known during her first youth. She was experiencing her senior year over again, this time without plotting to destroy the high school.

It should say something really negative about popularity when a girl like Penny has been elected to the position of student body president. Penny obviously earned the title with her looks and decent articulacy. Then again, you can't really blame the other classes. They hadn't seen Penny when she was at her worst, aiding one of the worst villains ever accidentally produced by Sky High. They simply knew her as a cluster of pretty, cheerleading girls.

Penny sat behind a table in the cafeteria, a banner behind her reading "Valentine's Day Carnation Sale". There was a chart on the table, showing the significance of the color of blossom. Red was for love, white for a secret admirer, and pink for friendship. She smiled her million dollar bright white smile and handed out order forms to everyone who came and asked for them.

"I can't believe they let her back in here." Layla shook her head, her eyes fixated on the beaming Penny. "After what she did…"

"Yeah, well, the administration has never had stellar threat-radar when it comes to villains. I mean, Gwen had to have been planning her attack under their noses for months if not years." Warren took a bite of the school's sub-par hamburger.

"And now she's just sitting there, smiling like some sort of… Some sort of…" Layla crossed her arms, frustrated with her sudden inability to find the right words.

"The sale is stupid, too." He glanced over to Penny who seemed to be doing quite well selling flowers.

"Oh, I don't know about that. It seems alright to give flowers to someone you like." Layla shrugged. She meant to hint that she would have appreciated a carnation, but Warren seemed blind to her suggestion. He only shrugged.

"I think I'll place an order." She slid her chair away from their table and stood up.

"For who?" Warren looked up curiously, wrinkling his eyebrows.

"You'll see." Layla smiled playfully, patting Warren on his shoulder as she walked over to Penny's table. There was a line forming and Penny multiplied herself to supply their demand.

"Penny," Layla gave her an obviously phony smile. "How've you been?"

"Well, if it isn't Mother Nature. Nice to see you again." Penny chuckled a little, smirking at Layla. "You gonna order a carnation or what?" Her tone was that of someone very impatient. Penny didn't have time to bicker with Layla. The last thing she needed was a reminder of how utterly Royal Pain's plans had failed. She wanted to forget all about that - especially the part where Layla had kicked her asses - All five of them.

"Yeah, I was gonna--" Penny held up a hand to silence her.

"Just fill out a form and drop it in the box." She flashed Layla a grin and ended their conversation, turning away from the redhead.

"Right." Layla sighed, hands on hips for a moment before she picked up one of the forms. She took a yellow number-two pencil from her messy bun and scribbled down the information necessary.

* * *

Valentine's Day - It was finally there. Layla sat in the senior sidekick home room as one of the Pennies handed out carnations. She made silent bets on how many flowers each person would receive.

Ethan, unsurprisingly enough, got quite a few and almost all of them were from secret admirers. The one that mattered the most to him was the one from his girlfriend, Katie. Katie was on the Hero track, though, and wasn't there to see Ethan's face light up with a smile.

Magenta had received a single red carnation from who else but Zach. She smiled and made a point to sniff it while looking up at Zach in a suggestive sort of way. He had been disappointed that she hadn't sent him a carnation, but quickly got over it the moment she looked at him with those eyes. Men were predictable in that way.

Penny walked to Layla's seat at the back of the classroom, sorting through various different-colored carnations only to then look up at Layla with a cruel smirk on her face. "Oops, none for you." She giggled, relishing the crushed look on Layla's face.

It was just a flower. Flowers were only symbols of love. Layla tried her hardest to convince herself that, when love was really true, one doesn't need symbols to show for it. Still, it stung. She had made it obvious to Warren that a carnation would have meant the world to her. It made other, ridiculous theories seem possible, though. Was their love dying out? Didn't he feel the same way he felt that Christmas Eve when they'd first made love? Was it her fault that all of this was happening? What could she do to mend things?

"My bad," Smiled Penny, handing Layla a white secret admirer carnation. She looked more confused than anything. It wasn't from Warren. Their love was far from being a secret. It truly puzzled her.

The last bell of the day rang, rudely interrupting Layla's thoughts. Those in home room streamed out into the hallway, most of them pairing up with their significant other and cooing over the flowers they had sent each other. Layla just made her way to her locker, toting her secret admirer carnation with her.

"Surprise." A low voice jolted her out of her haze.

"Warren…?" She peaked around her locker door which had blocked her view of him. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she saw him. In Warren's arms was a bouquet of red roses wrapped in white tissue paper. In his hand he clutched a single red carnation.

"I got your flower." He held up the single carnation with a smile. "And I got you a couple, too." He handed her the bouquet awkwardly. "There are six of them. I figured you wouldn't mind splitting a dozen with my mother."

Layla smiled so widely. It was such a relief that Warren hadn't forgotten about her on Valentine's Day. "Of course I don't mind! I'm just… Wow. I guess the word I'm looking for is 'flabbergasted'." She chuckled loudly, snorting softly as she did so. Warren just smiled. Only Layla could make acting like a dork look so very endearing.

"What do you have there?" Warren gestured to the white carnation Layla held.

"It's something from a secret admirer." She looked at it with a shrug.

"Huh." He eyed it, then looking up at Layla with a confident smile. It was no secret that her world revolved around him, so, naturally, he wasn't worried about losing her at all.

"Are you free tonight?" She smiled up at Warren, hoping that the answer would be 'yes'.

"Like a bird. Why?" He cocked his head to the side curiously. "Did you want to have dinner or something?"

"Well, I was hoping for _something _like that."

"Dinner at my place, then. I'll pick you up around six on my way home from the hospital. I told mom that I would go to see her tonight." Layla nodded with a smile, delighted that she would be spending the evening with Warren.


	14. The First Valentine's Day pt 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Sky High or any of its characters. Feel free to comment or flame me or anything, really. I love attention, good and bad.

* * *

"Warren!" Pelefina called in a surprisingly cheerful voice. She stumbled down the hallway leading to the entrance to the hospital ward she was staying in. She was dizzy from the electro convulsive treatment she had been given that morning. A nurse rushed to keep her from falling, but Pelefina pushed her away.

"Oh, it's so nice to see you, sweetheart." Her eyes welled up with tears as she hugged her son tightly. He returned the embrace, determined not to cry himself. "I've missed you a great deal." She pulled away, smiling brightly. Still, she wasn't the same person she had been when she was first hospitalized. Her aura of confidence had dimmed and so had the life in her eyes. It broke Warren's heart, but he kept smiling if only for her sake.

"I, um…" He lifted the six long-stemmed red roses so the blossoms grazed the tip of her nose. "Happy Valentine's Day, mom." She smiled, taking the flowers and sniffing their aroma.

"Is it Valentine's day already? Being here has made me forget even the days of the week let alone the holidays…" She shook her head, laughing softly even though it was a sad sort of thing to say. The days all blurred together inside the hospital walls. Time went so slowly and yet, before one knew it, the day was over. It didn't help that her memory was toyed with by the seizures electro convulsive therapy caused, either.

"Well, then, happy Valentine's Day to you, too, Warren." She turned, gesturing for him to follow her to her room. "I'm afraid I won't be able to put these in water. The day shift nurses are so ridiculous about that sort of thing. They did let me keep Layla's gardenia, though, which surprised me." She laid the six roses on her bedside table, pulling out a chair for her son to sit on while she took a seat on her bed.

"Meds." Called out a lethargic nurse in a monotone voice.

"Ah, that's my cue. Wait here." Pelefina hopped to her feet, walking to her doorway to meet the nurse who'd called for her and the other patients. She took a cup labeled 'P. Peace' and a small paper cup of water to down her pills with. She opened her mouth so the nurse could see that she had actually taken her medicine and made her way back over to her son.

"Sorry about that." She sighed, smiling faintly.

"How are they treating you?" Warren leaned closer to her, his elbows propped up on his knees.

"Well, some of the staff treat me with kid gloves. That drives me crazy, pardon my wording." She laughed softly once more but Warren was stone-faced. He wouldn't settle for anything less than perfection with the hospital staff. It all came from a good place, though. Warren was protective of the women in his life, even when said woman was his mother.

"Are they taking good care of you?" He looked concerned asking the question.

"Oh, yes. They won't let me shower enough for my taste, though." She wrinkled her nose in distaste. "See," Pelefina rolled up her shirt sleeve to show her son the IV they had started in a vein located on the inside of her elbow. He winced slightly, having hated needles all his life. "They don't like to start a new IV for every single ECT treatment to inject the anesthetic into, so they just sort of tape the existing one down and keep it that way for a week. I can't get it wet so… No shower." She frowned. "I don't look like a hobo, do I?"

Both she and Warren laughed a bit. He reached over to his mother, brushing her dark disheveled hair from her face.

"You look beautiful." There was a heavy silence between the two. Pelefina missed her son so much but didn't want to let on how empty her life was without him. Warren was silent for fear that if he was to say something it would only bring his mother down to a new low. The last thing she needed was sadness. He just wished that he knew how to bring her happiness.

"How's Layla?" She tilted her head, looking at her son curiously. Her memories were few and scattered but she did remember what she'd asked of Layla. To love Warren in her absence… She knew that he would need love after all he'd gone through even if he would never admit it. Pelefina knew her son. He thought that solitude equaled strength. She knew better.

"She's… She's good, I guess. Still by my side." His mother smiled at that. Her baby boy was safe in the arms of that sweet girl. At least she hoped that he was safe…

"Warren, dear," Pelefina blinked her eyelids slowly as if they were made of lead. "My medicine is making me sleepy. Would you mind letting me rest now?" Warren nodded, slightly disappointed.

"Sure." He pulled her blankets back so she could get under the covers. She curled up with her head on the pillow.

"I feel so bad for cutting our visit short…" Her voice was soft with fatigue.

"No… I'll always be here. I'll come again soon." He smiled, brushing his mother's hair from her sleepy eyes. It hurt him to leave her which made him feel like less of a man. After all, how manly could one be while still wishing that his mother was by his side nurturing him like a child? He pushed that question out of his mind, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

* * *

Layla nearly jumped at the sound of her doorbell. She walked slowly, taking her time because, for once, she was wearing high heels. Layla had never really been a high heels sort of girl. If anything, she'd been a comfy Birkenstocks kind of girl. Tonight, though, she was dressed to the nines. As always, her get-up was green, but tonight her dress was the kind of thing curvaceous bombshells dress up in. Layla didn't really have curves - she was slender all over - but the dress still looked nice on her.

Warren's face greeted her the moment she opened the door. He wasn't quite as dressed-up as she was in his shirt and slacks, but Layla didn't mind at all.

"Happy Valentine's Day." He smiled softly, his heart still heavy from his visit with his mother.

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Layla chirped enthusiastically, throwing her arms around him in a hug. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open just a bit, slightly caught off-guard by Layla's sudden embrace. "How'd things go with your mom?" She pulled back slightly to catch his response.

"Good, she's um… She was lucid for the whole visit so that's something positive." He forced a small smile onto his face. Layla returned the smile, relieved that his visit had gone well. It amazed her how Warren could be so strong in the face of despair.

"Good! That's great." Layla nodded cheerily.

"Well… Shall we…?" Warren gestured towards his motorcycle, parked in the driveway. Layla nodded once more, walking out the door and over to the vehicle awkwardly in her heels. Warren was secretly amused with her stumbling on her high heeled shoes. He took his seat on the motorcycle and he felt Layla get on after him, tucking her dress underneath her so she wouldn't flash her underwear to passing traffic.

It had been awhile since Layla was last on his motorcycle and she'd forgotten how much she enjoyed it that first time when he took her to the Maxville Arboretum. She remembered their first kiss in the display garden so vividly. It had been the first time emotions triggered her powers into action, causing flowers to bloom around them from the ecstatic feeling she'd experienced.

Before she knew it, Warren had parked by the curb of the Paper Lantern. He hopped off of the motorcycle, offering his hand to Layla so she wouldn't fall over in an attempt to step off of the motorcycle. She took it, careful not to fall on her face because of her choice in footwear, and smiled sweetly up to him.

"Does anyone else at school know that Warren Peace is a closet gentleman?" She smirked playfully.

"Only those who deserve to be treated with chivalry, so, to answer your question, no." He returned the smirk, then moving to hold open the front entrance of the Paper Lantern so Layla could pass through. It wasn't the quickest way to his apartment, but there was something about making Layla crawl up a fire escape that really sort of ruined the romantic mood. Then again, passing through a steamy kitchen while those inside cursed at each other in Mandarin wasn't exactly romantic, either.

Once upstairs, Warren led her into the apartment. Layla had had unrealistic fantasies about how Warren would handle Valentine's Day. These fantasies involved candles and rose petals and some twilight serenading - All of them very unrealistic and cheesy to boot. She was pleased, though, to see that his dining table was covered in a white table cloth and that there were a few unlit candles decorating it. It was just enough to be romantic without the cheese. Truthfully, if he had sprinkled rose petals all over his living space Layla would have questioned his sanity and his motives.

Warren walked over to the table, lighting the candles on it with an ignited fingertip, and then made his way over to the kitchen. He pulled a glass casserole dish from the refrigerator and held his hand over it, heating the contents until they were a tolerable temperature. Warren reached for two dinner plates, dishing out the food he had just heated onto each plate.

He looked up at Layla, who was standing a few feet away, and smiled a little. "You can sit down, if you'd like. I'm almost ready." She responded with a smile and a nod, sliding one of the dining room chairs out from the table so that she could take a seat. She sniffed the air, trying to figure out what Warren had fixed them.

"Alright," He carried the two plates over and set one down in front of his chair and the other in front of Layla. "A vegetarian lo mein platter for two." He smiled a little. "I didn't exactly slave over the kitchen all day, but I always see you ordering it downstairs. I figured…" He sighed before continuing.

"It looks delicious!" Layla spoke up, smiling brightly. Warren poured two glasses of lemonade, Layla's favorite beverage made from lemons freshly squeezed by a friend and co-worker at the Paper Lantern. He dropped a few ice cubes in each glass and carried both of them over to the table.

"Thanks, Warren." He nodded, sliding a pair of chopsticks in her direction. She smiled in thanks, taking the wooden utensils into her hands and digging into her lo mein.

"Mm." She nodded. "It _is _delicious." A tiny giggle slipped past her lips and she sipped at her lemonade.

"This was really nice of you." She smiled appreciatively at her boyfriend. "No one's ever done anything like this for me on Valentine's Day."

"It's no big deal," He insisted, taking a bite of his food.

The two of them ate in almost complete silence. Every once in awhile, one of them would look up at the other only to look away the moment their eyes met. They'd been together for months so it seemed strange for them to be behaving so awkwardly. In truth, though, both of them were just nervous about how the evening would end. It was going so well which was a shock because Pelefina Peace's condition had seemed to freeze her son's heart. When he was with Layla, though, it melted. That was one of the things about her that both thrilled and scared him. She was a little afraid, too, because she didn't want her heart broken.

"That was good." Layla murmured to herself, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin and looking up to smile at Warren, surprised that he had finished his dinner before her and had been sitting quietly.

"What?" She laughed nervously only speaking to fill the awkward silence.

"Nothing. Well, not nothing." He pushed his plate away a little bit. "I'm just glad that you're here."

Layla smiled softly, a bit on guard as Warren stood up, sliding his chair away. He walked over to her side of the table, bending down slightly so he could kiss her more easily. Layla returned the kiss, reveling at the magic of the moment they were sharing. She stood and the two of them made their way over to a more comfortable location.

They didn't even break their kiss as they sat down on Warren's living room sofa. In that moment they seemed to melt together, caressing and kissing each other with such heat and passion yet still possessing a tender sort of feeling. There was no doubt that this was the best Valentine's Day either of them had experienced in a while.


	15. The First Shower Romp

-1For a guy who never really went out of his way to groom himself or make himself pretty, Warren Peace sure enjoyed himself in the shower. This was his 'me' time. He made the water as hot as he could stand it, often steaming up the bathroom mirror and the skylight above the shower stall. He lathered up every inch of his tanned, toned body with discount brand soap. The suds slowly slid down his wet skin and spiraling into the drain.

Next came the shampoo and, more often than not, a shampoo-mohawk came with it. Using the tips of his fingers he massaged the shampoo into the roots of his dark hair, relishing the sensation as his fingernails scratched his scalp and lathered even more.

Warren rubbed the bar of soap between his hands creating a foamy lather that he rubbed onto his face, cleansing the impurities from his skin. He tilted his head to the ceiling, closing his eyes and letting the hot water stream onto his face, washing the soap away from his eyes enough to open them without having the irritating lather burn them.

No sooner did Warren open his eyes than he saw someone through the glass shower door watching him. He would never own up to being scared, but he nearly jumped out of his own skin.

"Jesus," He muttered, turning the water off and trying to make out who it was that was watching him.

"Don't mind me." Layla smiled, sliding the shower door open and giving her boyfriend a friendly wave.

"Did you pick the lock?" Warren looked confused, wondering how she could get through the apartment's door without him knowing.

"Actually, I grew myself a ladder." She nodded with a tiny smirk. "You left the window open." Warren nodded at the clarification.

"I'm almost done. I'll be out in--" But she cut him off before he could finish.

"Mind if I join you?" She raised her eyebrows smiling so innocently. For a moment, Warren just stood there in silence, his jaw hanging open just a bit.

"Yeah, um… Sure." What else was he supposed to say? He wasn't about to let on how much it thrilled him to see Layla in all her naked milky-white glory. He wasn't going to let a girl reduce him to a quivering little lump of gelatin even if said girl was a goddess in the flesh.

Her smile widened just a fraction and she peeled her green sweater off of her body and tossed it to the bathroom floor. She slipped off her long skirt and kicked her clunky boots to the side with ease. Next was her brassiere and underwear, leaving Layla naked as a jaybird.

She stepped into the shower stall so confidently, but inside she was being eaten up by her thoughts. Was she pretty? More importantly, did he think she was pretty? She knew the answer was yes. Boys don't act the way he was acting in the presence of girls who don't somehow turn them on. Still, a part of her kept asking that question and she wasn't certain what the answer was.

"Am I pretty?" She looked up at him with her big, brown eyes, biting her lip and making herself seem so young and naïve. Warren paused for a moment before answering. He'd learned through experience that when a girl asks such a question of a guy the guy is treading on thin ice.

"You know you're pretty." He almost seemed confused. Warren didn't understand how someone like Layla could not know how great in every aspect she was.

"Do you think I'm pretty?" She asked in a softer voice. Warren felt like rolling his eyes at her insecurities.

"That's a stupid question." Layla frowned a bit at the reply. "Of course I think you're pretty." But with that, a smile had replaced the frown.

Layla wrapped her arms around Warren and gave him a quick hug before using one arm to reach behind him and turn the water on.

"Ah!" Warren exclaimed, caught by surprise by a blast of icy water. Layla gasped as the stream of cold water hit her skin, as well. She laughed nervously, turning the hot water on and getting close to the warmth of Warren's body.

She reached for the soap. It was an ordinary oval of a thing, which didn't surprise Layla. He was the only person using the shower, now, and he wasn't a very skincare conscious sort of person.

"Do you have a loofah?" She looked up at him with a small smile before looking all around the tiny shower stall.

"A loofah?" He looked confused, but quickly figured out what Layla was talking about. "Oh, the sponge.. Thing." He nodded with a tiny smirk. "I left it at the hospital for my mom." He shrugged. "Sorry…"

"No worries!" Layla chirped happily, holding the soap up so he could see it. "We'll use our hands." It was said so innocently, but the thought of Layla massaging soapy lather all over his naked body with her hands wasn't exactly material for a G-rated movie scene.

She put her hands on his shoulders, turning him away from her. She let the water hit the soap, rubbing it under the stream of warmth to create bubbly lather. She rubbed the bar of soap in circles from the back of his neck down to the bottom of his back. Once every inch of him was soaped up, she used her fingertips to rub and massage him clean. Thanks to a nail biting habit, Layla's fingernails were tiny stubs, but it still felt good to him as he felt them scratching the skin on his back.

Layla wrapped her arms around Warren and stood like that for a second, her cheek against his shoulder blade. She turned her face to place a small but lingering kiss on his back and, although he couldn't see her, she smiled brightly.

She coaxed Warren to turn and face her with her arms. Warren looked down at her, a sly half-smile. He bent down just a bit so he could place a kiss on her lips. Though she was otherwise preoccupied, Layla used her hands to lather the soap onto her boyfriend's chest.

Just when she was about to do to his chest what she had done to his back, Warren grabbed her arms gently, sliding his hands down her forearms until the soap was in _his _hands. He pushed her red, wet hair off of her chest and shoulders so her breasts were in view. He created a lot of frothy lather, massaging her shoulders with his strong hands. She smiled blissfully, relishing the sensation.

It was too much for either of them to continue bathing each other. Warren let the bar of soap slip to the ground as he pulled Layla close to his until there was no distance between their bodies. He nipped at the spot where her shoulder met her neck, trailing kisses upward until their mouths connected.

With his free hand, Warren turned the water off. Without a word, the two of them stepped out of the shower trailing miniature puddles of water on the linoleum floor and making wet spots on the carpet of the bedroom floor.

Though they were still wet, the two of them collapsed on Warren's unmade bed, laughing at each other. It was needless to say that Warren's mind was free from worries about his mother. Even Layla could sense it, and knowing that she'd contributed to his happiness made her feel better, as well. Neither of them wanted any of it to end.


End file.
